All Quiet On The Demon Front
by CSI Dork
Summary: ...that is until demons storm the diner the Winchesters are eating in. Managing to escape with a young woman in tow, Sam and Dean suddenly find themselves demonic targets, much more than usual anyway...is this girl holding the key or just tagging along?
1. Prologue

**A/N - OK, despite stating in my profile that I would not attempt a Supernatural fic, I could not resist. This is just the start, introducing my idea so it doesn't feature the Winchesters yet but they will certainly appear in the next installment. Hope you like it enough to want to read the next part which I hope will be written and published sometime tomorrow. **

**Also if the mythology is wrong at any point during this fic just call it artistic licence - I'm no occultist, just a Supernatural fan with a random imagination!**

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**Prologue.**

The late night bar was nothing out of the ordinary but filled the senses just the same. As the familiar scent of beer met her nose, her ears registered the sound of jolly, alcohol fuelled banter whilst her eyes scanned the random mix of clientele. A group of bikers shooting pool, a handful of businessmen laughing raucously at a colleagues less than successful attempt to secure the bartenders cell phone number and the odd lone drinkers, propping up the bar.

One such drinker in particular caught her eye. His shoulders hunched the hood of his faded green NYU sweatshirt ruffled and a full shot glass in his hand. She watched as he cast a glance towards the group of overly intoxicated businessmen, his eyes wore the look of sadness and self torture she had become all too familiar with. He focused his attention back on the drink in his hand before tipping his head back slightly and downing it in one gulp.

'Get you the next one?' she asked, slipping onto the bar stool beside him as he placed the empty glass down clumsily. The clunk of glass against wood suggested he did not really need another, had quite clearly had enough.

He looked her up and down, a flirty smile creeping across his face. 'I won't say no. What's a pretty girl like you doing alone in a place like this?'

The unoriginality of his chat up line and the slurring of his words suggested he was either out of practice when trying to seduce women or had never really been much of a womaniser either way. She smiled sweetly at him and rolled her eyes, jovially.

'I don't know, what brings you here?' she leaned forward enough to make sure his attention remained with her, even if his eyes were focused slightly further south than her face.

'Looking for something, I guess,' he shrugged turning his head slightly to acknowledge the bartender as she placed another shot glass in front of him.

'That's specific,' she smiled again, holding his gaze long enough to give him the confidence to continue in his flirtation.

'Maybe I'm looking for you,' he said, a flicker of something passed across his face as though he were surprised by his own boldness. Surprised or maybe afraid.

She raised an eyebrow and smiled coyly at him as though his words had had an affect on her. Gently, she placed her hand on his thigh, not so far up that it would distract him completely but far enough to imply other intentions. He looked down at her hand for a moment or two before turning back to his drink and throwing it down his throat more forcefully than before, perhaps out of eagerness, nervousness or just simply drunken clumsiness.

'Oh, you missed a bit,' he hadn't but he wasn't in any state to doubt her. She leaned closer still and rubbed her forefinger gently against the corner of his mouth, catching a drop of alcohol that wasn't there. Judging by the way his pupils dilated slightly, he was taken in.

'Yeah, I'm definitely looking for you,' he said, almost in a whisper before leaning forward quickly and pressing his lips desperately against hers.

She returned the kiss briefly before pulling away and taking his right hand and gently lifting it up, tilting it slightly so his wedding band glinted in the dim overhead lights above the bar. He glanced at it guiltily and the confidence he had shown visibly disappeared.

'You're not looking for me, honey,' she said gently a small, compassionate smile on her face.

'I know,' he said, the sadness evident in his eyes. 'But neither is she.'

'Doesn't mean she isn't thinking about you, wondering where you are,' she suggested, lowering his hand to his knee and placing hers on top.

He shrugged his shoulders and exhaled a short, bitter laugh.

'I doubt that.'

'Why would you say that?' she asked, stroking his fingers comfortingly.

'I used to be like those guys over there,' he jerked his head in the direction of the businessmen. 'But then I lost my job, our house is in foreclosure and I can feel her just slipping away.'

She did not react as tears welled in his eyes and he choked back a sob. She had seen men in this state enough times, it did not faze her. It was an expectation of her…influence. He trusted her and all it had taken was one kiss.

'Do you love your wife?' she asked, plainly.

His shining eyes lifted to look at her. He nodded.

'Then go home, tell her and don't let anything come between you.'

She watched as the expression of revived hope and renewed confidence dressed his face. He nodded, wiped away the single stray tear that had managed to escape and stood up. Hesitating for a moment he looked down at her.

'Go!' she said with encouraging firmness.

He threw a half smile at her, dashed a small kiss upon her cheek and left the bar. She sighed contentedly. He was a decent guy, just needed a push in the right direction and she was more than happy to provide it.

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The street was alive with noise and chaos. Sirens blared quietly in the distance as well as right by the houses. Curious neighbours stole fearful glances from behind their curtains, those who felt braver ventured onto the front lawns to see what was happening.

'Drop your weapon and hold up both of your hands,' a police officer called, calmly and firmly although the faint tremor of trepidation could be detected. His hands adjusted on the pistol which aimed at the man in the doorway.

'Please help me!' the strangled cry came from the woman held tightly by the suspect, one arm around her neck. In his other hand he brandished a long bladed knife.

'Come on, son, it's better for everyone if you let her go,' the police officer called out, attempting to negotiate.

It was difficult as his eyes kept flickering to the lifeless bludgeoned body of the man lying on the grass. From the limited information he had received, and the use of his own intuition, it appeared the suspect had returned home to find his wife in bed with another man and had subsequently attacked in what could only have been a frenzied rage. Now it appeared, he intended the same fate for his spouse.

'Please let me go,' the woman begged again.

'I can't,' he said calmly before plunging the knife into her throat. 'I can't let anything come between us.'

The officer fired and fired. Each shot of the bullet echoed in his ears as he watched his target drop to his knees, blood soaking the green sweatshirt he wore, turning it an unpleasant shade of brown.

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**A/N - if this was a Supernatural episode the title would explode on screen right now but it's not, sadly, but I hope it still interested you and thankyou for taking the time to read this little ramble!**


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N - Ok, here is chapter one (obv.) hope you liked the little prologue - there will be more on that incident later. Sam and Dean make their appearance at last and I hope I got it down OK, I love their comedy moments so I tried to create one and probably failed miserably. Sorry if it seems a short chapter but I love to end on a cliffie wherever I can! Also, I have only seen season 5 up to the point where Jo and Ellen were killed off so anything that happens after that episode will not relate to this story. Just assume this is set some time after that and anything that happens is my own little universe instead :) Hope that made sense. **

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**Chapter One**

Dean Winchester smiled his sweetest smile at the waitress as she handed him a menu before walking over to another table to check on a group of teenagers. He allowed his eyes to follow her, giving her the quick once over. Satisfied with what he saw, he shifted his attention to his second favourite thing, food. The menu was what he expected so it would not be difficult to decide. Steak sandwich…bacon cheeseburger. Both would be as equally tasty, possibly as tasty as the waitress, he thought, stealing another look behind him.

'Dude, did you check out the waitress?' he said, quietly so as not to be heard.

Across from the table his younger brother Sam did not look at him or respond to his question. Right elbow resting on the table, his head resting on his hand, he gazed out of the window, apparently his mind was elsewhere.

Dean rolled his eyes before refocusing on the big decision of steak or burger. Sammy was having one of his introverted, the-end-of-the-world-is-coming-and-it's-all-my-fault moments. In a way, Dean agreed. Sam had been the one to break the final seal, killing Lilith and raising Lucifer thus kick-starting the whole apocalypse issue. As angry as Dean had been, he only needed to steal a glance at Sam when he was unawares to realise the guilt that rested on that boys shoulders. Besides, he was not completely guilt-free himself. Had he not broken the first seal, shedding blood in hell, maybe none of this would have happened at all.

Dean suppressed a shiver as a distorted image from his time in hell flashed across his memory. In an attempt to prevent him from becoming as moody as Sam appeared to be, he settled for the bacon cheeseburger, put the menu down and tried to get Sam to look at him.

'Dude did you hear about the horse that walked into the bar?' he paused, still no response. 'The barkeep asked him…why the long face?'

Sam shifted his head slightly and looked at Dean disapprovingly. Dean raised both hands palms upturned and shrugged his shoulders.

'What?'

'Like you even need to ask what the problem is' he retorted, looking back out of the window again.

Dean rolled his eyes again but refused to give up. Sam had always been this way, even before the apocalypse. It was just his personality, he was the sensitive one. Dean often made fun of him for his chick flick moments but that wasn't to say he didn't have them himself, he just wasn't as open about it.

Sam had changed in the last year, however, quite visibly. The brow that was often furrowed in concentration seemed to be permanently in place these days as though he could not shift what troubled him and the enthusiasm he used to have for research seemed non-existent. Sam was tired. Dean could see it and although he would not admit it, it scared him somewhat. If Sam was tired, he was prone to weakness. He could not be weak, could not say yes to Lucifer. Dean felt another shudder attempting to make its way up his spine. He could not bear the thought of Sam possessed by that monster and, thanks to his little trip into the future a few months ago Dean knew exactly what it would be like. All the more reason to stop it from happening.

'Dude, why the long face?' a female voice interrupted their moment of silence.

Sam sighed and prepared himself to throw an irritated scowl at the person who had just reflected his idiot big brothers observation of his current mood. He turned his attention away from the window where he was staring at nothing as he stewed over everything that had gone wrong in the last couple of years, and looked up.

Any intention he had of being impolite vanished as his eyes met the face of the waitress. Crystal blue eyes shimmered back at him, a gentle smile on her lips. Her face was framed by the odd ringlet that escaped from the pony tail in which her raven black hair was loosely tied. Sam felt a severe case of dry mouth coming over him.

'Now that's better,' she said her smile widening making him realise he was smiling at her. 'What'll it be?'

Shifting his attention back to the menu, he hoped he hadn't been smiling stupidly at her. He scanned the list of meals up and down quickly searching for one he wanted. Dean sighed, louder that necessary, from across the table. Sam resisted the urge to kick him in the foot.

'Well, whilst Frances here is deciding, I'll have the bacon cheeseburger, extra onion, extra cheese and extra fries please, sweetheart,' Dean said in his usual confident, this-girl-is-hot manner.

'Would you like extra burger too?' the waitress said, sarcastically.

Sam snorted with laughter and received a kick under the table himself. 'Owww-'

'Sorry, what was that?' the waitress asked.

Sam quickly recovered himself. 'Owww'll have the same please,' he said in an attempt to hide his complaining.

'All with extras like him?' she asked, a twinkle in her eye, an amused smile firmly planted on her face.

'Um, no, just as standard please,' Sam smiled back. 'And a couple of coffees too.'

'I thought so,' she said, picking the menus from the table. 'You can tell who likes the extras.' She added, patting Dean's stomach playfully before walking to the kitchen.

Sam chuckled as he watched the smirk drop instantly from his brother's face. Dean looked down at his stomach as though searching for the pot belly the waitress had implied. After a brief moment of searching he lifted his head, eyes wide with irritation, got up from his seat and marched into the men's restrooms.

'That just made my day,' he muttered to himself, still smiling.

'I thought you looked like you needed cheering up,'

Sam whirled his face up to look at the waitress again. He hadn't realised she was even standing there, two mugs and a pot of coffee in her hand. She smiled and placed the mugs on the table.

'So, you guys on a road trip or something?' she asked as she began to pour the steaming liquid into one mug.

'Yeah, something like that,' Sam smiled awkwardly and took the cup from her when she offered it to him.

'Brothers, huh?'

Sam cocked an eyebrow, impressed. 'How'd you guess?'

'I'm pretty intuitive like that,' she smiled again. 'You get to see a lot of people come and go working in a place like this, you pick up on the different chemistries I guess.'

Sam nodded and pretended to be really interested in his coffee for a moment, trying to think of something intelligent to say. Not that it mattered, they would be gone in less than an hour, back on the road and he would never see her again. That was the problem with this life, aside from the demon attacks and Lucifer trying to make him his bitch. He would never meet someone and fall in love again. It always ended badly. Still, a conversation with a pretty girl could be nothing short of harmless.

'That's quite a skill,' Sam said, mentally kicking himself for not thinking of something better to say.

'I guess, sometimes not so nice though,' she said, filling up the other mug and placing it where Dean would be sitting.

'How so?'

'Well not only do I know sibling rivalry when I see it but we get a lot of adulterous couples in here too, they stay at the motel down the road. It's kind of hard to keep a smile on your face when you know, you know.'

'I guess,' Sam smiled. 'Still, it's quite a gift.'

'Yeah, I can see the assholes from a mile off.'

Sam joined in when she started to laugh, trying hard not to be dazzled by her. The more he looked at her, the more attractive she seemed to be. He wished he didn't have to leave when dinner was over.

'Shame you didn't see us coming,' a voice interrupted them.

Sam looked up to see the group of teenagers from the other table circling the waitress and the table. A chill ran through him as he saw their eyes turn to black.


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N - thank you to those who have added this to their favourites/alerts already. I'm glad somone wants to read the rest of the randomness that spills from my brain from time to time. I hope you enjoy this little action sequence. I'm really getting into this story so I may even manage another chapter uploads before bedtime LOL. **

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**Chapter Two**

Dean stood with his hands in the wash basin glancing cautiously at his reflection as he ran the soft warm water, rinsing away the soap he had used. In hindsight he had taken the ribbing of the waitress a little bit more seriously than necessary. However, after establishing that regular consumption of his favourite meal had not, in fact, given him a wobbly stomach, he felt reassured.

As he dried his hands on a paper towel, the cheap quality of the product scratching against his skin, he raised his chin slightly, inspecting it in the mirror. He paused in the drying of his hands to tap the underneath of his chin, checking that he was not developing a second one.

'Ahh!' he retorted upon finding that he only had one chin after all. 'What does she know?'

He was rolling the paper towel into a ball preparing to slam dunk it into the trash can when a scream caught him by surprise. Deep throated and blood curdling it send ice chills running through his veins as adrenaline and instincts joined forces and spurred him into action.

Dropping the towel on the floor and snatching his gun from the hidden pocket in his ever fading leather jacket, he headed for the door of the restroom in time to hear Sam calling his name. The air of desperation he could hear in his brother's tone told him this was not about to be an easy fight.

Sam glanced briefly towards the restrooms as he heard Dean burst through the door, slamming it against the wall in his haste. An air of relief flickered through him knowing he now had his brother as back up. It was no guarantee that they would win, they were still significantly outnumbered but two heads were always better than one.

He cursed loudly as the male demon he had been headed towards slammed into him, knocking his gun from his grasp. It slid across the floor and underneath one of the circular bar stools that ran along the edge of the service counter. Maintaining his balance with very little effort, he swung his now empty hand and connected with the jaw of the demon, sending him stumbling backwards onto his back.

'Sammy!' Dean's deep voice roared across the diner.

He looked at his brother in time to see another male demon running towards him. Snatching the coffee jug from the table he slammed it across its face, tiny shards of glass splintered and dispersed across the floor.

Spinning around to face the demon he had floored just seconds before, Sam could see the other demons that had revealed themselves, in the process of slaughtering several of the other patrons in the diners. It had not just been the group of teenagers that were possessed. Three other tables in the busy diner – a group of truckers, two couples and three females – had risen from their seats, their eyes blackening.

Trying not to dwell on the knowledge that they were not going to save everyone, Sam scanned the room desperately looking for a way of at least biding them some time as Dean ran by him pulling off shots on his pistol.

'Dean, where the hell is the colt?' Sam yelled at him, ducking as a demon launched towards him and then throwing a punch into the creature's stomach.

'I left it in the Impala,' Dean called back in a don't-blame-me-for-this tone before pistol whipping a demon across the back of the head as it attempted to attack a young family. 'Where's the knife?'

'In the Impala' Sam said, guiltily realising they had both been careless.

He sighed exasperatedly as his eyes fell on the drinks dispenser by the counter. Placing a hand on the Formica worktop he hopped niftily over the counter to look for the water source. The waitress he had been flirting with just a moment or two before hid beneath. He hadn't even seen her move as the carnage had begun.

'Hey, how you doing down there?' he asked quickly. She looked up at him her blue eyes fraught with terror. 'Can you show me where the water comes from for the dispenser?'

She shot him a look of incredulity. 'You're thirsty? Now? Really?'

'I don't have time to explain!' Sam snapped in frustration. 'Just show me where the water comes from.'

The waitress shifted out of the way and pointed to a tank the size of a beer keg with a pipe running from it. Sam quickly pulled some rosary beads from his jacket pocket, thankful that he had recently placed them there. Unscrewing the pipe from the tank as quickly as his trembling hands would allow him; he threw the beads into the opening and began mumbling in Latin.

'Sam, I could use some help out here!' Dean called out; throwing another punch into the demon he was fighting with sending it flying through the glass window at the front of the diner.

The last time he had seen Sam, he had been vaulting over the counter and he hadn't come back up since. He didn't know what in the hell he was doing but he hoped it was something good. Experience told him Sam more than likely had some ingenious plan up his sleeve.

Ushering the young family that the demon had been trying to kill towards the door, he turned in time to receive a blow to the chin from another demon.

'Sam!' he shouted out again, this fight was turning sour fast and he feared how many more of the innocent customers would be slain.

Those who were lucky enough to be close to the door or fast enough to get there quickly had managed to escape when the fighting first began. Those who were not so lucky cowered beneath tables if they were still alive or lay haphazardly across tables or sprawled across the floor. Dean had not seen a massacre like this in a very long time and it turned his stomach. A quick scan of the room informed him that at least twelve had perished already.

Without warning, his feet went from under him and he found himself pinned down by two of the demons. It had happened so fast he had not had time to register his loss of balance let alone defend himself.

'Sa – aaam!' he shouted again so forcefully that his throat hurt and a brief memory of hell flashed through his mind.

Sam fumbled with the switches on the gun-like nozzle of the drinks dispenser. There were about eight buttons and he couldn't decipher which one would let only the water out.

'Dammit, how the hell's this thing work?' he muttered, half to himself.

The waitress reached over and clicked a button on the back. He looked across at her, his eyes meeting hers for a brief second before Deans cries brought him back to reality. Jumping up to standing position he aimed the spray gun and pulled the trigger directing the spray of blessed soda water from one side of the restaurant to the other connecting with as many of the demons as possible.

A cacophony of strangled cries that only creatures spat out from the depths of hell could be capable of making filled the room as the demons hit with the holy water writhed in agony, smoke rising from their skin. Seeing the distraction of their attackers the remaining conscious customers, sensibly, took their chances, seizing the hands of partners and children and running to the exit.

Sam looked around for Dean as he sprayed the water which seemed to be losing pressure. It was running out. He couldn't see Dean anywhere.

Looking down he saw the waitress still cowering beneath the counter. He needed to keep the holy water treatment going as long as possible. Reaching down with his free hand he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her to standing. She tried to resist but in her frightened state she didn't appear to have much strength left.

'I need you to keep hold of this and keep showering those assholes for as long as the water lasts, you got me?' he instructed firmly, shoving the spray gun into her hand.

'What?' she stuttered looking from the gun to his face, eyes wide.

'Just keep it going for as long as you can, the minute it runs out you hide, I'll be right back OK?'

Without waiting for a response, Sam vaulted over the counter again, quickly retrieving his fallen weapon from beneath the bar stool. Gripping it tightly, refusing to be disarmed again, he made a quick mental assessment of the situation. The waitress was holding back the demons by the tables. They were mostly drenched and in too much pain to bother trying to attack him again. With an inward sigh of relief he turned towards where Dean and he had been seated before it all began and his breath caught in his throat.

Dean was being held down by one demon while another pummelled his face with its fists. He was twisting and fighting to get away but the first demon held him fast. Sam appeared to have been unnoticed, the demons were so focussed. Slowly he took another two steps closer and raised his gun ready, holding it firm with both hands.

'Hey!' he yelled suddenly, his voice rising loud above the screeches of the burning demons behind him.

The demon holding Dean down looked up sharply in Sam's direction. He squeezed off three rounds in succession. It was not enough to kill it but enough to knock it off balance and give Dean a chance to fight back.

Skilfully Dean seized the opportunity and rammed his leg into the demon on top of him sending it stumbling to the side giving him enough time to get back on his feet before throwing a punch into its face. Sam closed the distance between them quickly, shoving the demon he had shot previously out of his way as it advanced towards him.

'Nice work with the soda spray Sammy,' Dean commented as his brother reached him.

'Really not the time Dean,' Sam shot back. 'What do we do now?'

Sam surveyed the damage as he waited for his brother to answer. The two demons that had attacked him were facing them head on, battle stances engaged. Glancing over at the waitress he saw her drop the spray gun as it ran out of water. It clattered onto the worktop as the demons, previously held at bay by the holy water regained their strength and began moving en masse towards them.

'I say we get the hell out of here Sam,' Dean said clearly recognising where they were fighting a losing battle as the group of demons separated into two, half of them still heading towards them.

'Right behind you brother,' Sam said as Dean turned towards the open door.

Sam watched as Dean ran full pelt out of the door and across the lot to the Impala but did not follow. Unlike Dean he had noticed what the second group of demons were doing. Skulking towards the counter top, wicked smiles upon their faces they reached towards the waitress who stood frozen to the spot.

'Run!' he shouted at her which only succeeded in getting her to look in his direction.

Flicking his attention from the group of demons still heading towards him and the group of demons about to reach her he tried to visualise the best way of getting to her and getting out. Deciding on the reckless approach he grabbed the small bottle of holy water he kept in his jacket pocket, throwing the contents in the face of the demons closest to him.

Then he ran.


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N - sorry this update was not up sooner than I hoped. I struggled a little bit as it is probably more of a filler chapter. I hope those of you who are reading this enjoy it. Thank you for the reviews and adds to favourites/alerts lists. I appreciate it. Again, any mythological references or conflictions with the plot of the actual show please just put down to artistic license (as in ignore my mistakes, I tried not to make them LOL). Anywho read on...**

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**Chapter Three. **

Dean rammed his hand into the pocket of his jacket as he ran, his fingers searching frantically for the keys to the Impala. As his fingertips met with nothing but lining and a quick search of his other pocket also yielded nothing, it dawned on him.

'Sam, keys!' he said coming to an abrupt stop and turning around, his hand held out in anticipation.

He felt the blood drain from his face as he discovered that his brother was not behind him as he had expected. Almost simultaneously he had the realisation that he had exited the diner, forgetting that there was still one civilian remaining inside.

'Shit!' he cursed, throwing his hands up in angst.

Dean's heart thumped hard against his chest as he picked up pace and headed back to the diner trying with great difficulty not to picture the image of Sam engaged in a solitary fight against twenty demons. Spurred on by the terrifying thought of losing his only family – it wouldn't be the first time – he forced more power into his legs and ran faster.

A sudden invisible surge of force, coupled with unimaginable heat hit Dean straight on. Barely having time to process that the diner had exploded, he was knocked off his feet and landed closer to the Impala than he had been before he started running back for Sam.

Shakily standing up, Dean looked at the diner in front of him. Bright orange flames gushed from the space where the windows had been before they were blown out by the blast. Glass littered the tarmac, shining like a million miniscule diamonds in the late afternoon sun.

'Sammy!' Dean bellowed noticing how desperate and forlorn his own voice sounded.

'Dean!'

He whirled round in the direction of the voice he had not expected to hear. Sam was heading towards him from the far side of the diner, one arm around the waist of the waitress, guiding her along. Dean noticed how her left foot was dragging slightly suggesting that she had either lost consciousness or Sam was simply moving too fast for her to keep up in a co-ordinated manner.

'What the hell, Sam? You scared the crap out of me!' Dean exploded as Sam reached him. 'I thought you were dead.'

'It wouldn't be the first time,' Sam shot back, receiving a 'don't remind me' look from his older brother. 'You left her behind, what was I supposed to do?'

Sam was fuming. He couldn't be sure if it was the adrenaline rush from the fight or the split second he had thought they weren't going to make it out of the diner past the demons. Either way his blood was pumping ferociously through his veins and he would much rather get in the car and get moving than take his frustration out on Dean.

'Just get the car open,' Sam snapped a little more than he intended, throwing the keys to Dean who deftly caught them and proceeded to unlock the car.

Pulling the back passenger door open with his free hand, Sam gently guided the waitress onto the seat. She was conscious although clearly dazed by the demon attack and subsequent explosion. However, she managed to weakly slide herself onto the back seat and position herself toward the far side passenger door so that Sam could slip in next to her.

He had barely pulled the door closed when Dean slammed his foot down on the accelerator and the car lurched fluidly out of the parking lot and onto the main road. For a while there was no sound save for that of the distinctive rumble of the Impala's engine and the occasional sound of other cars passing in the opposite direction.

Sam looked across at the waitress trying to assess the state she was in. There appeared to be no physical injuries about her person which made her one of the lucky ones. In fact the only evidence that she had been through any sort of ordeal was the mess of dirt and spilled condiments on her uniform.

Pulling his eyes away from her slim legs that stretched out from beneath her black knee length a-line skirt, he caught her looking at him. Feeling his cheeks flush slightly as he wondered whether she had noticed him taking her in he decided now was a good time to break the silence.

'I'm sorry, I didn't even ask your name,' he wondered why the statement had sounded much more suave in his head than it did out loud. He could feel Dean's ridiculing glare in the review mirror.

To his surprise, the waitress exhaled a short, mirthless chuckle. 'Better late than never I suppose, my name's Molly.'

Sam felt the corner of his mouth twitch slightly. 'I'm Sam, that's my brother Dean,' he informed her, gesturing towards the front of the car with his hand.

The awkward silence returned for a moment or two as Sam once again found he was unable to take his eyes from her. Molly's loosely bound hair had become more unravelled from the hair band she had worn, leaving a larger cascade of black curling hair draping her face. She twitched her head sharply to move the hair from her face so that she could look at Sam more clearly.

'So, do you want to tell me what that was all about? What was wrong with those people? Their eyes were…and the things they were doing…I…' Molly's voice showed the first signs of distress since the diner as she struggled to word her questions.

'Hey, you're safe now,' Sam said gently, his hand reaching over to instinctively cover hers in a gesture of reassurance.

Molly glanced down at his hand before looking up to meet his eyes. 'Yeah, thanks for that by the way.'

'All in a day's work, honey,' Dean's rough, slightly amused tone interjected and Sam withdrew his hand sharply. 'Those people were demons and they were more than likely after us.'

Molly looked from the back of Dean's head to meet Sam's face again. Her brow had furrowed in confusion.

'How do you know?' she asked, surprising Sam.

He had expected her to laugh or call them crazy, not to simply accept the existence of demons and then enquire as to their intentions. Sam saw Dean raise one eyebrow, perhaps also surprised that Molly had not yet 'wigged out' as much as one might have expected.

'Uhh,' Sam cleared his throat uncomfortably. 'It's kind of a long story…' he trailed off unsure of where to begin, how to sum up their insane lifestyle in a nut shell.

'Basically, we've been hunting demons and other supernatural beings pretty much our entire lives. That is why the demons were probably after us,' Dean said, proving that, actually, the nutshell wasn't too hard to achieve.

Molly looked to Sam as if to seek clarification. He nodded and attempted a half-hearted smile of some sorts. She threw her own nervous smile back at him before looking down at her uniform and attempting to swipe off some of the dirt that had settled there. Sam looked at her curiously. Aside from her initial shock following the attack in the diner she seemed to have regained her composure very quickly.

'So tubby' she said, suddenly leaning forwards so that her face was closer to Dean's headrest. 'Where are we going?'

Sam had to fight hard not to guffaw with laughter at the way she so casually teased Dean. Something told him that Molly was not the average damsel in distress.

'We?' Dean's eyes widened furiously at the insult. 'Listen, lady, you're not coming anywhere with us. We've got enough on our plates without dragging you along for the ride.'

Molly looked sideways at Sam, an impish smile on her face. Sam smiled back although the idea of dropping her off and never seeing her again gave him no desire to smile. He tried to mentally shrug off the thought and remind himself that this was his life. Dean and him on the road, fighting evil, anything else was just impractical.

He was about to ask Molly where she would like to be dropped off when a sound somewhere between a flutter and a rustle of material caught his attention. A squeak of surprise escaped from Molly's lips as a familiar figure appeared in between her and Sam.

'Jesus, Cas!' Dean exclaimed, catching himself before he swerved the car in shock.

'Mind your language please, Dean,' Castiel said, in his usual flat, emotionless tone.

Sam saw Dean roll his eyes before fixing them back on the road ahead of him, not offering a response to the angel who sat as still as a statue in the backseat. Molly had remained silent since Castiel's arrival. Leaning forward slightly, Sam looked at her, her shock and surprise evident in her wide eyes and partly open mouth.

'This is Cas, he's an angel,' Sam said as casually as one might introduce one acquaintance to the other, as though it were perfectly normal to have celestial beings in one's social circle.

Molly's mouth moved slightly as she uttered a very quiet 'oh' before continuing to stare at the angel before her. Sam assumed she was probably going through the same questioning thoughts he'd had upon first meeting Castiel. No wings? No long white gown? Just a tan trench coat and a five o'clock shadow?

'To what do we owe the pleasure?' Dean asked, sounding somewhat disgruntled. 'I mean, we could have used your help twenty minutes ago but –'

'Enochian sigils, Dean,' Sam reminded him impatiently before realising Castiel had still managed to find them. He enquired as to how.

'I was nearby, heard the Impala and predicted the route you would take.'

If Castiel could display emotion, Sam was sure he would have appeared pleased with himself. Instead, he sat, just as still as before only he turned his head slightly to look at Sam.

'I am here to help you,' he stated bluntly.

'With what?' Dean snapped, irritably. He never had gotten his cheeseburger Sam mused to himself. He always did get cranky when he was hungry.

'With the girl,' Castiel said, looking briefly at Molly before looking at Sam again, his serious face suddenly more grave - if that were possible - before speaking again:

'It was not you the demons were looking for.'

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**A/N - as I said this chapter was more of a filler, I hope to explain a bit more of the story in the next chapter or two. I'm still having fun writing it, thats the main thing, if you enjoy reading it - that will be a bonus! :) xx**


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N - Ok, so here is chapter four. It's not particularly eventful but its kind of important to the story (I hope) and has cemented my decision when it comes to the 'What the hell is wrong with Molly?' deal. Anyway, hope you enjoy. **

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**Chapter Four**

Dean paced up and down on the brown carpet of the generic hotel room, trying to process the information that Castiel had relayed. He looked up briefly at Sam who was sitting astride one of the chairs beside the oval table, his arms dangling loosely on the back, his legs stretching out in front of him, his attention seemed to be focussed on the floor. Dean thought he seemed far too casual for his liking.

He was also concerned about the way Sam looked at Molly; he had known his brother long enough to know attraction when he saw it. If this girl was wanted by demons, she could be nothing but trouble. Plus, he didn't care for the constant teasing she seemed to direct towards him.

'Are you serious Cas - ,' Dean hissed through his teeth as he spoke in a low voice. Molly was in the bathroom and he didn't want her to overhear. 'A weapon? What kind of weapon?'

'I am serious Dean,' Castiel replied, the same expression on his face that suggested he was incapable of anything but serious. 'I do not know what kind of weapon, just that she is a weapon and Lucifer is curious.'

From the corner of his eye Dean saw Sam's head snap up to look at them when he heard the word 'Lucifer.' Dean fought hard to ignore the feeling of unease in the pit of his stomach.

'Why is Lucifer curious?' Sam asked his casual stance now tenser as he drew his legs in closer and sat up straight.

'Why the hell do you think, Sammy' Dean snapped suddenly losing all patience. 'To help him win the war in the damn apocalypse.'

Sam's brow raised as his brother shouted at him. 'I didn't think he would need much help. He is the devil after all.' Sam spoke quietly but the bitterness was evident in his tone.

'All I know is the information I have gathered from a handful of demons,' Castiel interjected. 'The first I heard was Lucifer was searching for a weapon. Then a demon told me about the diner, that the weapon was there – '

'So we don't know for sure that it's Molly?' Sam interrupted, his face relaxing slightly.

Dean bit his tongue, fighting the urge to slap Sam around the back of the head for being so naïve.

'Please, allow me to finish,' Castiel looked at Sam blankly until he made a 'continue' gesture with his hand. 'The last demon I came across this morning told me about the girl. I could not get any other information from it.'

'How did you even get the information?' Sam asked, curiously.

'I can be very persuasive,' Castiel said flatly but Dean was sure he saw a twinkle of pride in his eye. 'Lucifer may not be in hell anymore but the threat of being sent back is still enough to extract information.' He added by way of explanation.

'So all we know is this girl is a weapon, Lucifer wants her and –' Dean began summarising, ticking off the facts on his fingers.

'And I need you to protect her while I find out more,' Castiel instructed. 'I will contact you when I am ready to meet with you again.'

With that he was gone, leaving Dean and Sam staring at the space he had occupied less than a second before. Dean could feel the usual unease in the pit of his stomach that came with the start of a case, especially when it was a case that could have massive implications for their current situation.

He threw his hands in the air. 'This is just perfect!'

'Come on Dean,' Sam said, which only annoyed Dean further.

'Don't come on Dean me!' Dean snapped. 'We don't even know what the hell she is.' He pointed fiercely to the bathroom door from which Molly still had not emerged.

'Dean, we don't know she is anything!' Sam stood up from his chair, defensive body language in place.

'Oh sure,' Dean's voice dripped with sarcasm. 'She's the target of demons; Lucifer wants to use her as a weapon. That's normal!'

'Look at us, we're supposed to be the vessels for Michael and Lucifer and we're human!' Sam snapped.

Dean scoffed out a disdainful laugh. 'You stopped being human a long time ago, Sammy.'

He knew as soon as he said the words that he didn't mean them but it was too late. Sam's face dropped and Dean saw the moisture forming in the corners of his brother's eyes. Sam's face visibly tensed as he fought back a reaction. Dean couldn't stand to look at him any longer. He snatched his coat from where he had draped it over another chair and stormed out of the motel room leaving Sam standing speechless by the table.

Sam swallowed hard and glanced towards the door Dean had slammed behind him. Common sense told him that Dean was just pissed, that was why he had said that but he also knew that when Dean was angry he would voice the fears that were buried right at the back of his mind. It had been a long time since he had said anything like that though and Sam couldn't understand why Dean was so angry, especially with him.

He lifted a hand to swipe the moisture from his eyes when he heard a crash and a scream coming from the bathroom. Within seconds he was at the door, pushing it open.

'Molly, are you alright?' Sam asked automatically before his eyes fell on the scene before him.

The stand-alone mirror that had rested on the wash basin was now in pieces, some lining the wash basin itself, the rest littered the linoleum floor. Within the mess was a pattern of blood drops leading to where Molly sat on the edge of the bath, cradling one hand in the other, her head lowered.

'Whoa, what happened?' Sam asked, gently, carefully kneeling down in front of her, avoiding the glass beneath him.

Molly looked up as though startled. Sam found that odd, he hadn't exactly been quiet on entering the room. He watched as she looked up at him, her face pale. She didn't just look surprised or in shock from the cut she had received from the broken mirror, she seemed to be terrified and her eyes suggested that her mind was elsewhere.

'Hey, what is it? What's wrong?' Sam asked, taking her injured hand and pressing a hand towel against it to stem the blood flow.

'Nothing, I just hate the sight of blood,' she said, clearing her throat and straightening up. Sam noticed how the fear seemed to have suddenly vanished from her face. She was very skilled at hiding her emotions. He had not known her long but he recognised the skill, Dean was a master at it.

'Lets get this cleaned up OK?' Sam said, helping her to her feet when she nodded in agreement.

Guiding her out of the bathroom, he sat her on the edge of one of the beds. Using the hand towel he gently wiped away the blood on the palm of her hand. The cut was not as bad as it appeared to be. She sat very still as he inspected it, checking for any stray pieces of glass but there appeared to be none.

Sam had dumped his bag on the bed when they first entered the room and he had to lean close to Molly to reach it from behind her. His heart started racing as he caught the scent of her perfume and he swallowed hard as he tried to focus on pulling out the pack of dressings he kept in his bag.

As he moved back with the pack in his hand, Molly suddenly caught hold of his face with her uninjured hand, resting it gently on his cheek. His eyes met with hers, piercing blue just staring straight at him. He became acutely aware of the knowledge that it would take very little to close the gap between them and press his lips against hers.

'Thank you,' she whispered her voice so quiet it was barely audible.

Sam could feel the heat in his face and wished that he wasn't blushing so hard. 'For what?' he managed to whisper back, his voice catching in his throat.

'Saving my life, I guess,' she smiled, coyly.

'It's only a little cut, I wouldn't exactly call it life threatening,' Sam smiled back and looked down at her hand again trying hard to focus on the task of dressing her wound.

Molly moved her hand from his face and placed it on the bed as he covered the cut with an adhesive dressing. He heard a sharp intake of breath come from her as she winced.

Lifting his head to apologise, he once again found himself taken in by her eyes. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt so genuinely compelled by someone. Probably Jess who the very sight of would send his heart thumping, maybe Madison too.

Remembering them brought him back to reality again. The connections he made got people killed. He tore his gaze away from her and looked at her hand again as he wrapped a bandage over the dressing to secure it in place.

'What was that?' Molly asked her voice of a more normal volume this time. She sounded as she had in the diner when they first met. Confident, assured.

'What was what?' Sam asked, genuinely not sure what she was talking about.

He continued to work on her hand. He had probably wrapped enough bandages around her wound now but was fighting the urge to face her again.

'That look,' she said and then continued when Sam didn't respond. 'What happened to you?'

At the question, Sam froze. Could she really gauge from one look that he had been affected so often in his life. His hand rested on her now bandaged wound and he could feel the heat emanating through the cotton. There was silence for a moment or two and he kept his head lowered.

He felt that if he acknowledged her question that he would open up and everything would come pouring out. All the heartache, all the agony of everything he had suffered during his life, the last few years especially. He could feel that words might pass his lips that not even Dean had been privy to.

From the edge of his vision he saw Molly's good hand move and touch his face again, tilting his chin up so that he had no choice but to look at her. He couldn't look into her eyes again, not right now. He felt as though he might lose control and he wasn't sure what scared him the most – what he might feel for her or how much of himself he would become.

'Sam,' she said quietly as he felt a hard lump form in his throat and found he was mentally begging himself not to speak. 'I don't want to sound too forward but -' she paused for a second, tilting his chin further so that he had to look at her. He could see genuine, deep-seated concern in her eyes. 'You can tell me anything, I'm a good listener.'

He gulped and took in a soft, slow breath still unable to stop looking at her. Releasing her injured hand, which had rested in his for some time now, he placed his own hand upon her cheek and found himself inching forward, closing the gap between them.

'God, I'm sorry,' he exclaimed, suddenly finding his senses again although he wasn't sure where from.

Sam practically jumped to his feet and began packing away the remaining dressings and bandages into his bag. He was aware that he was making very exaggerated movements and stopped halfway, staring at the bag trying desperately to reorganise his thoughts.

'It's alright,' Molly said, quietly, sounding a little embarrassed herself. 'It's been a long day.' She stood up and moved towards him as if to comfort him.

'I know, I know,' Sam said, his words spilling rapidly from his mouth as he stepped back away from her and held his hands up in defence. 'I just…I need to go take a walk, I'm sorry.'

With that he dropped the last of the dressings on the bed and walked out of the motel room, slamming the door behind him in his haste.

Molly dropped back down onto the bed and held her head in her hands. She didn't know what it was about Sam, she had barely known him more than an hour or two but there was something there between them. Something she had never felt before and she had a feeling that he felt it too. The freaking out and running away part was normal. It had happened once or twice when she felt someone getting too close. She figured that was just the effect she had on men.

'Man, I could use a large glass of wine right now,' she muttered to herself, picturing a nice glass of Shiraz.

She lifted her face from her hands and froze still as her gaze landed on the table on the opposite side of the room.

There on the previously empty table stood a large glass full of a dark, ruby coloured liquid. Molly exhaled in disbelief.

'Hmm, that's new!'

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**A/N - thank you for reading thus far, hope you want to know what happens next. sorry for being annoying and leaving every chapter on a cliffie - I love doing that, although its quite hard to do!**


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N - OK, I was obssessed with getting another chapter written sooner rather than later which is why I am still on my laptop at 1.15am! I'm not sure where this ramble came from but i promise the next chapter will reveal more, this is more necessary character development. I think also the characters lack of sleep in this chapter may be inspired by my current state of tiredness. Hope it hasn't affected my writing too much! **

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**Chapter Five**

The motel room had been cast into darkness for several hours now. The only illumination came from the glare of the television set in front of which Dean sprawled awkwardly on the couch, apparently asleep. His still form just a silhouette before the light flickering from the screen.

Sam sighed and rolled over in the less than comfortable bed. He could just make out the shape of Molly lying in the other bed, her back facing him. He couldn't shake the ominous feeling that surrounded him. He assumed that it could only be attributed to the hectic events of the day. The attack in the diner, the arrival of Castiel and the intensity of feelings he felt whenever he looked too long into Molly's eyes.

Then there was Dean and their exchange of words. _It's been a long time since you've been human. _The bitterness of the words still stung as he replayed it in his head.

After he had returned from his walk, he found Dean sitting at the table, bags of take out food before him. He had simply handed Sam a burger, meeting his eyes briefly -Dean's way of apologising. It was enough for Sam. Their lives were turbulent enough without fighting against one another. Lord knows they had been down that road before and the memories of those days still filled him with the pain of regret. He wished there was a way he could take them back.

Watching Molly sleep which he realised might be considered somewhat voyeuristic he felt some realm of comfort. There was no denying there was something unusual about her although he couldn't determine whether it was his rapidly developing attraction to her or something else entirely.

Following his return to the room and his subsequent acceptance of Dean's apology in the form of a cheeseburger, Molly had remained quiet for most of the time. Sitting on her bed with her back resting against the pillows until the sun went down, repeatedly turning an empty wine glass around in her hands. She seemed lost in thought until Sam gained her attention by offering her a change of clothes for the night which she gratefully accepted.

Emerging from the bathroom wearing his worn and faded Stamford t-shirt that was so over-sized on her slight frame it looked like short night shirt, she slid beneath the covers of her bed and went to sleep without a word.

Sam closed his eyes, willing sleep to come, to give him a break from the multitudes of thoughts and fears that were running through his mind. What made Molly a weapon and why was she interesting to Lucifer? If she turned out to be a threat, would they have to get rid of her? His eyes shot open again as the jolt in his stomach told him he would do everything in his power to protect her.

Molly lay staring at out of the window next to her bed. She watched the way the small lamps outside provided an eerie glow over the sparse parking lot of the motel. A coyote suddenly skittered across the tarmac, pausing briefly to glance towards the building. Molly could see its eyes shining black glaring at the window; it appeared to have been distracted by something, perhaps a flicker from the television which was still on. It paused for less than five seconds, she counted them, before it headed back out in the direction of the wooded area on the far side of the parking lot.

The blackness of the coyote's eyes had reminded her of the demons at the diner and sent a shiver running down her spine. She suppressed it as best as she could, unsure as to whether Dean and Sam really were asleep given that she herself was pretending.

It had been an incomprehensible day but deep down she should have known something like this was coming. The things she could do, the things she already knew about, were not things that normal people could do. She was under no illusions about this yet she had always accepted it.

Today had been different.

The glass on the table had contained the very wine she had imagined, if only briefly, and had appeared from nowhere. She could not explain it other than that she were responsible for its appearance. For a couple of hours at least after draining it in less than three gulps, simply to calm her nerves, she had stared at the glass, willing it to refill. It hadn't.

Perhaps the angel had sensed her craving and orchestrated the arrival of the beverage. That was the kind of thing she had always imagined angels could do. Castiel, however, was clearly not the stereotypical harp-wielding angel of Hollywood lore. She doubted he had the time or inclination to grant her desires.

Speaking of desires, she had been unable to stop thinking about Sam. He behaved as though he were attracted to her, in a way in which he struggled to hide. She questioned how much of that were real and how much was her influence. Every effort had been made to restrain this inexplicable power she knew she possessed but her intuition told her how Sam responded to being in close proximity to her. She could almost hear his heartbeat; feel the urge he had to be closer to her.

When he came back from his walk, she had already occupied herself with trying to refill the empty wine glass and had purposely attempted to ignore him. She wondered if perhaps he was inhibiting whatever it was she had managed to do the first time. After all, he had been out of the room when it had first appeared and when he came back he was constantly in her peripheral vision although little conversation was exchanged between them.

She was desperate to talk to him, about the glass, about her power, about everything but she needed to wait. Until she could be sure that she had no influence upon his emotions, that the way he behaved towards her was entirely of his own doing, she couldn't be sure how he would react. The only thing she was certain of was that he was the one she wanted to share her secrets with. She wanted to share everything with him, something she knew could never be.

A small sliver of moisture ran from the inside corner of her eye and down her cheek as she experienced an insecurity like none she had ever felt before. Closing her eyes tightly, she willed sleep to come.

Dean grunted and opened his eyes suddenly. As the room slowly came into view and his vision cleared he realised that the hunt involving giant bacon cheeseburgers with black demon eyes had been nothing but a dream.

Sitting up he picked up the remnants of his dinner and looked at it dubiously before dropping it back down on to the paper wrapper, briefly recalling an old wives tale about eating too much cheese before bed.

Rubbing the sleep from his eyes he tried to think over the new situation they were in. Sleeping just a bed away from where he sat on the sofa was a ticking time-bomb. He just knew it. Anything Lucifer wanted to get his hands on could only be trouble. It was a shame. Molly – aside from her comments regarding his figure – seemed a reasonably normal person which only made it more imperative that she should not be trusted.

Sam disagreed; he had seen it in his eyes. That was until he had suggested Sam was not human and the look in his younger brothers eyes had been replaced with unadulterated pain.

Dean sighed and stood up, walking towards the fridge to get a beer. He needed another drink after the day he'd had today. Something deep within him told him it was just the beginning. It also felt like history repeating itself. Molly was going to be big trouble, Sam couldn't see it, Castiel was being unhelpfully vague as always and he was here, opening the fridge to find salvation at the bottom of a bottle…

'Hello, Dean,' Castiel's quiet voice appeared from nowhere startling Dean and causing him to knock his head on the door of the fridge.

'Dammit, Cas, do you have to do that every time?' Dean hissed at him, unable to keep his voice quiet.

Castiel regarded him but didn't speak. Dean assumed Castiel still did not understand why he had to do anything different than he normally would. He heard Sam get out of bed as he waited for Castiel to start speaking again. Clearly he had not been sleeping as soundly as Dean had been led to believe.

'What's going on?' Sam asked, standing by the couch, folding his arms across his chest and looking at them firmly.

'I have information about The Weapon,' Castiel said, sounding as ominous as ever.

'Her name is Molly,' Sam corrected him, his voice terse.

Dean ignored him, instead focusing his energy on the lid of the beer bottle, releasing it with an audible hiss. Apparently having heard her name being spoken, Molly joined them, standing beside Sam. Dean couldn't fail to notice the way Sam tensed ever so slightly as her hair brushed against his arm.

'I have information about Molly,' Castiel repeated with the amendment.

'OK, go ahead, we're all dying to know,' Dean said, sarcasm poorly disguised.

'She was adopted as a small child - ,' Castiel began.

'Well, I could have told you that if you'd bothered to ask,' Molly interrupted, sounding significantly pissed off as though she were about to go into one.

Castiel raised an eyebrow in her direction although Dean couldn't be sure what he was trying to relay as the rest of his face remained indifferent. Sam nudged Molly slightly and she closed her mouth, signalling Castiel to continue.

'She was adopted from an orphanage in Minnesota. We need to go and speak with someone who works there. I felt it may be important for you all to come too, given your experience in interrogating humans more appropriately than I.'

'Alright,' Dean said taking a big swill of his beer before placing it down loudly on the table top. The promise of a hunt always motivated him although speaking to sources wasn't exactly hunting, it often led to one.

Castiel moved towards him, two fingers poised to press against Dean's forehead.

'Whoa, what have I told you about that?' He said, suddenly panicked. 'We're taking the car.'

Dean swiped his keys from the table top before heading to where he had slung his coat over the back of the couch.

'What's all that about?' he heard Molly enquire.

'Dean thinks that when Castiel teleported him or whatever it is that he does, he didn't poop for a week,' Sam explained, raising his fingers to make air quotes. 'His words, not mine.'

'Hmm,' Molly muttered, sounding amused.

'What?' Dean demanded to know, not liking her tone.

'Nothing, I just assumed you were always full of shit!'

With that she trotted over to the pile of clothes she had left at the end of her bed, leaving Dean glaring after her.

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**A/N - had to end with a slight comedy moment at Dean's expense. Nothing against him - I love him really he's just so funny at times. Obviously I don't own the 'didn't poop for a week' bit but it made me laugh so hard when I watched it that I had to put it in somewhere! Also, I needed a bit more of Molly's quirky side to come out before we start finding out the truth about her. OK, I think I've justified myself enough for one night. Hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading!**


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N - I know its been aaaages since I last posted a chapter but you know, life etc. Anyway, I'm sorry this chapter probably wasn't worth the wait (it has literally been a pain in my backside and I have had to edit it several times) but I hope you enjoy it. Would like to dedicate this installment to MessyNessy - a very patient reader. Again, this story does not concur with several episodes of season 5 because I hadn't seen most of it when I started wrtiing so I'm just gonna pretend its my own alternative season 5 :) hehe like I have the power to do that! Anyway enough rambling. This chapter really is more of a filler, trying to open up some of those unanswered questions but more (hopefulyl better) chapters are to follow.**

**Enjoy**

**CSI Dork xx**

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**Chapter Six.**

The traditional home that stood before them reminded Sam a lot of the home that he and Dean were supposed to have grown up in until their mother died and the whole supernatural mess that was their lives began. He glanced over at Dean to see if the similarities between the houses had been noted by his older brother also. It was a futile gesture - Dean characteristically showed no response to the building.

It was of a common design, square windows, a small set of steps leading to the front porch, decking all the way around. The street was quiet aside from the occasional traffic passing by. With the sun streaming down, a cool breeze blowing and the masses of green trees delineating the sidewalks, it felt like a small slice of heaven in a world that Sam had come to associate with darkness.

'Nice, huh?' Molly said, sounding impressed, breaking the silence as they stood contemplating the house, assessing their next move.

Sam felt the corner of his mouth twitch into a small smile as he looked to his side to view her expression. She seemed to be relatively cheerful considering she had almost died at the hands of demons yesterday, been told that the devil was looking for her and embarked on a road trip in the middle of the night. She had chatted for most of the six hour drive, much to Dean's annoyance. He still didn't seem to have forgiven her for the 'full of shit' comment she had made.

It was highly amusing to him that Molly, having known Dean for all of twenty four hours seemed to have gained more skill in tormenting his older brother than Sam had over his entire life.

'So Cas, what do you want us to do now?' Dean asked sounding slightly put out.

Castiel stood beside him, staring at the house also. He tilted his head to one side as though he were thinking, or listening to something.

'According to the adoption agency, before Molly was adopted, this was her address,' Castiel said, plainly.

Sam watched as the cheerful expression on Molly's face faltered for a moment before she caught him looking at her and plastered another optimistic smile upon her face. Clearly, she had not known about this part of her past.

'You mean, this is where my birth parents lived?' she asked, leaning forward and turning her head so that she could look at Castiel as he stood on the other end of the short linear formation they had created by standing alongside one another.

'I do not know,' he said, returning his focus back to the house. 'This is why we are here.'

Without another word, the angel began walking forward, crossing the street to reach the house. Sam and Dean exchanged a look before following him. Molly reached forward and took hold of Sam's hand as they crossed the street. He felt himself tense at the touch but realised that, judging by how hard she was squeezing his hand, she was actually nervous. Attempting to reassure her, he gently squeezed her hand back before releasing it from his grip.

He tried to persuade himself it was to avoid the sarcastic teasing that Dean was always on the verge of delivering. However, a nagging feeling in the back of his mind told him he was also afraid of the return of the intense emotions he had experienced yesterday when Molly and he had been alone in the motel room. The slight 'what's going on there' look that Dean shot his way as he dropped Molly's hand told him he had made the right decision. Sam shot an irritated 'what are you staring at?' look back at him.

Dean raised an eyebrow and took the final step up to the porch ahead of them, standing beside Castiel who had already knocked sharply on the door. As Sam and Molly reached a position slightly behind the angel and the hunter in front of them, the door opened to reveal a woman of about sixty years of age.

She stood straight a welcoming expression on her face that also wore the edge of caution. Dressed in a simple pair of black trousers and a pale yellow blouse, a duster and a can of wood polish in her hand, it appeared they had interrupted her during a spring cleaning session.

'Can I help you?' she asked, smiling politely after assessing the group that stood before her for a moment.

'My name is Castiel I am an – '

Dean interrupted him almost immediately. When was that guy going to learn that announcing yourself as an angel of the lord did not get people talking? It got them reaching for the phone and calling the cops out on the crazy person standing on their doorstep.

'We're friends of a girl we think used to live here ma'am.' Dean said, extending his hand towards her. 'My name is Dean.'

Dean recognised defensive body language when he saw it. That only suggested this woman was used to being cautious or she knew something that could be very pertinent to their investigation. She lifted her chin slightly as if trying to make herself appear taller. She made no move to shake his hand.

'I have fostered many children over the years,' she said. 'Could you be a bit more specific? I'm not at liberty to disclose information about individual children.'

Dean nodded. That explained her defensiveness. She was merely maintaining confidentiality, protecting the children she cared for. He fought hard to keep the patient, non-threatening smile on his face. It was all very well, it didn't help them get the information they wanted. He turned to his right slightly and threw a pleading look at Sam who stood behind him.

With the slightest of nods in acknowledgement, Sam ascended the final step and put his own hand out, his trademark sincere face on. Dean watched, slightly in awe though he would never admit this to his brother, at how Sam was able to win people around so quickly. It was a skill that had come in handy many a time. The thing with Sam was that most of it was genuine, aside from the lies he spun about their purpose for visiting.

'I'm sorry ma'am, I realise we have appeared unannounced but our friend Molly here is very keen to find out about her background –' Sam stepped to one side slightly and gestured to Molly.

Dean looked from the girl to the woman at the door. His interest peaked significantly when he saw the woman inhale sharply. She opened the door further and gestured for them to enter. That was easy, Dean thought before the hunter in him asked if it had been _too easy_. Scanning the hallway as they entered, he assessed how much danger they were really in.

The house was just as normal inside as it was out. Spacious and well-maintained, it looked like the stereotypical family home aside from the fact that there were no children running around, not that he could see or hear anyway.

They followed the woman - who introduced herself as Carol Watson as they entered the house – down the hallway, past the stairs and into what was the living room. A large L-shaped corner couch settled in one corner of the room and a large glass coffee table stood in front of it. The couch was so large that it took up most of the wall whilst the rest of the walls were taken up by large storage cabinets, the shelves containing a combination of books, compact disks and DVDs.

Carol indicated them to sit on the longer side of the couch as she perched herself on the end of the short. Dean sighed inwardly as he felt how comfortable it was when he sat down. After so many years of living in motels, luxurious furniture was always a welcome surprise.

Castiel sat down next to him followed by Sam and the Molly. Dean found he was slightly relived that Molly was furthest from him, not only did she annoy the hell out of him but he didn't trust her. If Lucifer wanted her for a weapon, she must be something supernatural. He just had to find out what.

'I remember the day Molly came to me,' Carol said, quietly without any prompting or questions from him or Sam.

Molly had been staring at the pictures on the coffee table in front of her, when she heard her name she lifted her head and looked at the woman. Her heart was pounding and she wasn't sure how much she really wanted to hear about her past.

Other than the knowledge that she had been adopted as an infant, she knew nothing about her biological parents or what had happened to them. It had occurred to her that she ought to find them once or twice…when strange things had happened but she had eventually decided that not knowing was probably for the best. Now it seemed she had been right all along but she no longer had a choice in avoiding the truth.

Carol Watson looked at her and something in her expression unnerved Molly. She seemed startled, afraid maybe. Molly wasn't close enough to gauge her emotions.

'Your mother knocked on my door one night in November. I remember because it was raining heavily that night and you were wrapped only in a blanket, you couldn't have been more than a few hours old,' Carol spoke, looking directly at her.

Molly took in a breath, feeling it catch in her throat as she tried to swallow back the tears that threatened to betray the illusion of bravado she always created. To her surprise, Sam's hand covered hers suddenly as though he knew how she felt. The touch of his hand over hers sent her heart racing but made her relax at the same time.

'Who was she?' Molly asked almost before she realised that she intended to ask.

'She told me very little,' Carol said sympathy evident in her voice. 'She was young, couldn't have been more than seventeen but she had a manner about her – '

Carol trailed off and seemed to be looking into the distance. Sam cleared his throat and prompted her with a question.

'A manner? What do you mean?'

Her eyes met his as he asked the question and Sam could see something there. Carol's eyes were wide and she seemed to have lost some of the confidence she had displayed when she had first opened her door. She looked nervous.

'I don't know,' she said, shaking her head as if to rid herself of whatever mental images accompanied her reminiscence. 'She looked young but she acted…she acted so…brazenly, like she felt nothing about handing her baby over to me,'

From the corner of his eye, Sam saw Molly straighten slightly and felt her hand tense.

'I'm sorry,' Carol said, gently looking at her. 'It's hard to explain. There was just something…something…it sounds ridiculous.'

'It's alright Mrs Watson, we've heard some things in our time,' Dean said, a half smirk on his face. 'Go ahead.'

'I just got this sense when I opened the door and saw her; there was something…evil about her.'

Sam felt Molly pull her hand out from under his sharply. Glancing to his side he saw that she was wringing her hands. It took all his strength not to pull her close to him and hold her tightly. He knew this must be painful for her to hear, hell, he knew what it felt like to know you could have a malevolent side.

'Evil?' Castiel asked, speaking for the first time. 'How so?'

'I told her I couldn't take the child from her, that she could go to child services, I even offered her a contact…'

'But?' Dean encouraged her to go on, his impatience poorly hidden. He was always that way when an answer was near.

'But,' Carol said, sounding a little incensed by his attitude. 'The look that came across her face…I've never seen anything like it since. And then she…insisted I take the baby… so I did.'

Sam noticed that Carol's hands were shaking and there was something in the way she pronounced the word 'insisted' that sent his suspicion soaring. The woman almost made it sound like she had been incapable of refusing – perhaps by some supernatural force. Before Sam could press any further, Carol stood up suddenly, announcing that she was going to make them all something to drink.

'What do you mean she insisted?' Dean asked inflection on the word 'insisted' he had clearly had the same train of thought as Sam.

'I don't know!' Carol snapped, taking them all by surprise. Even, Sam thought amusedly, Castiel. 'One minute I was saying no and the next I just…I couldn't turn her down. I'll be right back.' She added hurriedly continuing on her way to the kitchen.

Dean leaned forward slightly, a suspicious look on his face as he glanced at Molly. Then he met Sam's eyes and raised an eyebrow which only succeeded in irritating Sam.

'What?' he snapped at his brother.

'What do you think - some kind of mind control? That could be a handy _weapon_ for Lucifer,' Dean said, his eyes flickering accusatorily towards Molly briefly. 'Whatever her mom's deal was could have been passed on to her.'

'Hello?' Molly said, sarcastically waving a hand towards Dean's face. 'I'm still sitting here, you know.'

'Yes, I'm very aware of that fact,' Dean said, bitterly. 'I'm also very aware of the effect you're having on my brother, so what is it, mind control?'

'Leave her alone, dude,' Sam ordered trying to ignore the embarrassment he felt making itself known in the flush on his cheeks. 'We don't know anything for sure yet, let's just give her the benefit of the doubt.'

Dean looked at him in a way that told him he knew that Sam wanted more than to give her the benefit of the doubt. He wanted to deny that there could even be anything wrong with her at all.

Castiel suddenly shot up out of his seat, raising one hand forward in defence. Carol had returned to the room, absent of beverages, instead possessing a pair of ebony black eyes and an evil smirk.

'You boys are so kind,' she crowed. 'Hand delivering Lucifers weapon.'

Out of sheer habit, Sam raised his hand, ready to exorcise the demon. It was only as he felt nothing and the shock hit him that he had even made the attempt that he realised what he was doing. Dean appeared not to have noticed, for a change, so he quickly corrected himself, pulling a flask of holy water from his inside pocket, unscrewing the lid and throwing it in Carol's face.

The squeal of agony and rising smoke provided enough distraction for Sam to grab Molly by the arm and pull her towards the door to the living room. Mid way in their crossing of the room, he heard the crash of glass breaking. The instinctual fear that something was happening to his brother caused him to stop mid-stride and turn to see what was happening.

Dean had been thrown into the glass coffee table and did not appear to be moving. Castiel had one hand pressed firmly against Carol's face but with his reduced angelic powers, he did not appear to be having much success in exorcising the demon from her.

'Sam, a little help here,' Castiel called over his shoulder, the miniscule trace of sarcasm evident in his voice. He has spent way too much time with Dean, thought Sam as he released Molly from his grip.

'Salt, salt, I need salt,' he muttered to himself as he thought aloud.

'Here,' Molly said, grabbing his hand and placing a tub of salt on his palm.

'Where did you – 'he started to say before another demand for assistance came from Castiel.

Rushing to his aid, Sam poured the salt into the mouth of the demon, forced open by Castiel's firm grip. The angel quickly recited some words in Latin that Sam knew all too well. Weakened by the holy water and salt, it didn't take long before a long, controlled plume of black smoke rose from the demons mouth and within seconds, Carol's body crumpled to the floor.

'Shit,' Dean groaned as he became conscious again, slowing standing up from the pile of glass he lay in. His hands stung where they had come into contact with some of the shards but considering the force with which he had fallen he seemed to be relatively unhurt – thanks to his trusty leather jacket, he thought amusedly.

Looking around him he saw Carol in a heap on the floor, unmoving, Sam and Castiel stood over her and Molly standing silently by the door.

'What'd I miss?' Dean asked, receiving no response aside from slightly exasperated looks from the others.

After a moment's silence, Castiel walked purposely to the door.

'We have to go,' he said over his shoulder as he marched out, making no attempt to slow down, his trench coat billowing slightly behind him as he went.

Taking the hand Sam offered him, Dean managed to climb to his feet, ignoring the throbbing in his side. He was going to have a nasty bruise there in the morning. He strode past Molly, following Castiel who, judging by the open front door, was already back out on the street.

'What the hell, Cas?' Dean said, irritably as the three of them reached where the angel stood beneath a street lamp. The glow from the bulb ironically made him look almost heavenly as the contemplative look on his face grew serious.

'We need to find out about Molly's birth mother,' Castiel stated.

'No kidding,' Dean shot back sarcastically. 'How are we going to do that?'

Castiel appeared not to have heard or had chosen to ignore him. The angel turned to Sam.

'You need to go back to the motel with her, stay there until I contact you again,' he instructed.

Dean watched as Sam opened his mouth to speak, probably to protest in his usual inquisitive manner but before a word came out, Castiel had tapped both Molly and him on the forehead and they simply vanished into thin air.

'Huh,' Castiel retorted, clearly to himself.

'What?' Dean snapped again, starting to get pissed off with Castiel and his mysterious behaviour.

'My power, it seems to come and go, I don't understand,' he muttered before turning to face Dean.

'Join the club,' Dean retorted back.

Before he had time to process what Cas was doing, Dean felt a familiar tap on his forehead and the surroundings had changed suddenly. A quick glance around told him it was the same street, the same house but it was now dark.

'What the hell did you just do?' Dean shouted to his companion.

'We need to find out what Molly is so I brought us back,' Castiel said, looking up towards the sky.

'That doesn't exactly answer my question!' Dean shouted over the crack of thunder that suddenly rumbled overhead.

'I brought us back to 1983,' Castiel explained.

Dean fought the urge to groan in complaint as the first of several large drops of rain began pelting down on the top of his head.

'Seriously Cas more time travel. You know how I feel about - ' Dean stopped mid sentence as the purpose of this trip came to him.

Castiel had brought them back to the night Molly's mother had handed her over to Carol Watson. They would get to see first hand exactly who – or what – she was.


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N - Ok, so the last chapter took me forever to write and post and then the next one comes out within hours. Damn the unpredictability of creativity. Anyway, hope this chapter is enjoyed and that things are starting to make a bit more sense (but not too much - I like to keep you guessing). I enjoyed writing it anyway - if someone enjoys reading it, that's a bonus which I'm sure I've said before!**

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**Chapter Seven.**

Molly stood bewildered as she tried to process what was going on. One minute she had been standing outside and the next she was greeted with the familiar walls and scents of the motel room. It wasn't even as though she had felt anything, the last she remembered she was wondering what Castiel was doing poking her in the head. At first it had seemed like an extremely random act of immaturity which was very bizarre considering the angel's apparent lack of a sense of humour. Then, in a blink-and-you-miss-it instant she was back in the hotel room.

'You alright?'

Sam's gentle voice brought her from her attempts to readjust her thoughts. She turned her head to look at him and felt her heart race again. His eyes seemed to bore into hers for a moment before he looked away; apparently busying himself with clearing away last nights take out wrappers.

'I'm fine, I guess,' she answered at last, hoping she could smooth over the awkwardness in the room. It should have come easily to her but the last thing she wanted was to manipulate his emotions, she preferred to try and relax the atmosphere the normal way. Not that she considered herself normal anymore.

The thought threw her and the strength in her legs began to crumble. She half-staggered to the nearest bed and tried to catch her breath as all the recent information flooded through her memory. The demons following her…Lucifer wanting her for a weapon…Carol Watson's fear when recalling the meeting with her mother...

'What the hell am I?'

Sam looked up from where he stood clearing the table. He had been trying to ignore how aware he was that he was alone with Molly whilst grumbling internally to himself about what a slob Dean could be when he heard Molly's utterance. He hadn't even been aware that she had moved but now she perched awkwardly on the edge of one of the beds, a look of sheer confusion on her face. He wasn't even sure whether she had been asking him or simply voicing her panic aloud.

'Hey, don't talk like that,' he sighed 'We don't know that you're anything yet.'

Molly looked up at him scornfully. 'Yeah, right, you haven't seen the things I can do if I want.'

Sam wanted to sit beside her but something in her expression and the tone in her voice made him hesitate. In the short time he'd known her, he hadn't seen her look so…sinister. No, sinister was too strong a word. Something was just slightly off about her for a split second.

'Cas, man, wait up!' Dean hissed, trying to keep his voice down as Castiel practically ran for the cover of a large spiky looking tree. He didn't know what it was called, Dean had been raised a hunter not a horticulturalist.

He crouched down beside Castiel as they watched the house through the blanket of rain that was now pouring down.

'So what's the plan angel man?' Dean asked, quietly amused at his own poetic humour. Well, someone had to be.

Castiel eyed him reproachfully as if to insinuate his disapproval at the impromptu nickname of 'angel man' before he spoke.

'We wait here until Molly's mother shows up, wait until she gives the baby away and then confront her,' Castiel said.

'Ok,' Dean reached in his jacket pocket and pulled out his pistol before ejecting the magazine to check how much ammunition he had left then replacing it and turning off the safety. Typical military style preparation he thought to himself, marvelling slightly at how natural it came to him – like blinking.

Then he settled himself in to wait. Castiel may have gotten an approximate date and time from wherever – some things he just seemed to know – but there was no way of knowing how long they would be crouched behind the unidentified foliage.

To his surprise, they didn't have to wait long. Just as the rain was becoming heavier and he was working hard to repress the urge to shiver, Castiel nudged him with his elbow and pointed towards the driveway. Dean pushed a branch out of his way with the barrel of his gun so he could get a better view. At the end of the driveway was the silhouette of a young woman, an umbrella in one hand and a shapeless bundle nestled in the crook of her arm.

Dean became aware that he was holding his breath with anticipation. Soon they would see who Molly's mother was and what was so disturbing about her that Carol Watson could only use the adjective 'evil' to describe her.

Molly appeared to have sensed his reaction, the strange expression vanished from her face almost instantly and was replaced with one of regret.

'I'm sorry,' she said quietly, hanging her head. 'I know you're trying to help, I'm just struggling to understand any of this.'

His hesitance aside, Sam moved towards the bed and crouched down in front of her, placing his fingertips on her chin and lifting her face so she was looking at him. Trying to ignore the way his heart raced as his eyes met hers, he smiled as reassuringly as he could.

'I know this is hard,' he said, lowering his hand and placing it over hers. 'But we will find out what's happening and we will help you.'

Molly raised an eyebrow. 'We?'

'Yeah, Dean and I,' Sam said and realised it sounded a little naïve. Dean had been less that forthcoming when it came to Molly.

'I appreciate the gesture Sam, but we both know that as soon as your brother and that angel friend of your work out what I am, I'm as good as dead,'

Sam felt the smile drop immediately from his face. The thought of anyone hurting Molly in any way made his blood boil. He felt nothing but the need to protect her. From the demons…from Lucifer…from his own brother. The last option frightened him. Ever since the last time he had gone against Dean, he had promised himself he would never make that mistake again but now here he was already promising himself he would do anything to protect someone he had known barely forty eight hours.

'Sam?' Molly placed her hand on his hair. He had been staring at the floor as he contemplated the strange rush of emotions that were running through him. He looked up to meet her eyes again. 'What's wrong?'

'Nothing,' Sam exhaled and stood up, moving so that he sat beside her. 'So what can you do?'

Molly looked at him, apparently puzzled.

'You said I haven't seen the things you can do,' Sam explained, wondering if this was really a question he should be asking.

Molly sighed and looked at her hands. 'It's weird.'

'Hey, weird is my life,' Sam said with a chuckle. 'Try me.'

'Ok,' Molly looked at him with a smile. 'You asked for it.'

'Look, I can't just take your baby. Trust me, I'm a foster mom, there are ways and means of doing this. I can put you in touch with a local social worker…'

The woman with the baby interrupted a younger looking Carol Watson mid-sentence.

'Just take it,' she said, the evil edge to her tone more than evident. Dean felt his grip tense around his weapon – the usual reaction he had when faced with a monster of the supernatural persuasion.

'No, what about your parents. Can't they help?' Carol asked, clearly trying to talk sense into what appeared to be a teenage mother.

The woman sighed irritably. 'I just want you to take the baby.' She repeated, anger beginning to decorate her tone.

'Look, the answer is no. I can not just take a random baby from the street. You need to go home or find some shelter or – '

Carol was once again interrupted by the woman with the baby. This time it was by a wad of spit flying in her face, so large that Dean could see it from where they hid, even in the rain.

'Gross!' Dean uttered without thinking before Castiel clamped his hand over his mouth.

'Listen to me,' the woman said sharply. 'You will take this baby without another word, understand?'

The look that came over Carol's face sent ice running through Dean's bloodstream. He recognised that dewy, almost lovelorn look, that inability to refuse. He had seen it before in his own reflection, in Sam's eyes before they attacked each other.

He knew what this creature was.

'Cas, we gotta get back to Sam, right now,'

Sam stared in disbelief. Suddenly some things were starting to make more sense. Like back at the house when they were fighting the demon.

'How did you - ?' he started to say and then found his mouth closing again.

'I don't know, this one is pretty new. I didn't even know I could do it until yesterday,' Molly explained handing him the worn, discoloured teddy bear.

Sam looked at it, turning it over in his hands. It looked exactly like the one he had had as a small boy, exactly like the one in the photograph he had just shown Molly. When she had asked him to think of something he hadn't seen in a long time, something that wouldn't be easy to come by he hadn't expected Mr Tickles to be the first thing that popped into his mind. Happy childhood memories were rare enough - maybe that was why he hung on to the random ones.

'But how does it work?' he asked looking up from the teddy to meet her gaze.

'I don't know,' Molly shrugged. 'The only thing I've worked out so far is that when I really want something or need something and I visualise hard enough, it appears – like the salt earlier. We really needed it and next thing I knew I was holding it in my hand. I told you it was weird.'

'Weird?' Sam exclaimed. 'It's pretty amazing.'

Molly shrugged and dropped her gaze to her hands again, picking fretfully at her fingernails. Sam put Mr Tickles – or the replica of – down on the bed next to him and placed his hand on her shoulder.

'What is it?' he asked.

'There's other stuff, stuff that's so weird it frightens me sometimes.' She said so quietly, he barely heard her.

'So show me, maybe I could help,'

Molly jerked her shoulder away from his hand and stood up suddenly.

'Are you crazy? You think it's that easy?' her voice was raised and Sam could see tears forming in her eyes. He felt a pang of guilt that he had caused them coupled with the unsettling feeling again that he didn't want anything or anyone to hurt her.

'I'm sorry I – '

'Do you have any idea what it's like?' Molly shouted, cutting him off mid-sentence. 'To know that there's something in you, something powerful and dangerous at the same time. I could be anything, I have these weird powers, the devil wants me for something and it scares me to know I'm not human after all. I'm like…like…' she faltered as she appeared to find the words.

'Like you're a whole new level of freak?' Sam suggested, recognising the internal conflict she was feeling, remembering how he had once had a similar conversation with Dean when his brother had discovered his ability to exorcise demons with his mind.

Molly looked at him, shock evident on her face at how easy he seemed to have gotten the idea.

'Yeah,' she said, breathlessly. 'How'd you guess?'

Sam stood and walked over to her.

'We all have secrets, thing we're ashamed of,' he said, gently. 'Want to hear mine?'

'Take us back now!' Dean hissed as loudly as he could, knowing that the monster ten feet away from them might hear.

'No,' Castiel shot back sternly as Carol took the baby and closed the door on the triumphant woman. 'We have to find out about the baby.'

'I think it's pretty obvious,' Dean said, grabbing Castiel's forearm and forcing the angel to turn towards him. 'We need to get back to Sam, he's in danger.'

'You Winchesters are always in danger,' Castiel said, sounding dangerously close to being sarcastic. 'We will go to him as soon as we're done here.'

With that, Castiel rose from their hiding place and strode over to the woman who was making her way down the driveway, twirling her umbrella above her head, almost as though she were celebrating. For a moment Dean felt pity towards Molly knowing how callously her mother handed her over. Then the hunter in him reminded him that if her mother was a monster, then so was she. And she was alone with Sam…

Trying to ignore the fear niggling in the back of his mind, Dean focussed on the here and now…or was it the then and there. Time travel always confused him. He got quickly to his feet and went to join Castiel who appeared to be making out with the woman.

'Uhh, Cas, what are you doing?' Dean asked, noticing how nervous his voice sounded. The situation was surreal and unexpected.

Castiel pushed the woman away 'Your powers do not work on me,' he said bitterly.

'What are you?' she asked, clearly taken aback.

'You're one to talk!' Dean retorted without thinking.

'The baby you just gave away,' Castiel said. 'She's yours?'

'Not anymore,' the woman smirked nastily before suspicion washed over her face. 'How did you know it was a girl?'

'The father, who is he?' Castiel ignored her question and took hold of her arm tightly.

She attempted to struggle free which made Dean realise just how strong Cas could be. The woman would have had Dean on his back by now – and not in a fun way.

'Why the hell should I tell you?' she said, her face a mixture of annoyance and incredulity.

Dean's impatience got the better of him. He wanted the answers now so he could get back to Sam before Molly the monster spawn did anything to him. He shoved his pistol beneath the woman's chin as hard as he could. She cackled loudly and sneered at him.

'That won't do much damage to me, boy,' she taunted.

'Maybe not,' Dean shot back an equally taunting smirk. 'But I'll sure have fun using it.'

'Dean step back please,' Castiel ordered before nudging Dean out of the way. 'I am an angel of the lord, tell me what I want to know or I will smite you right now.'

Dean raised an eyebrow in admiration at Castiel's ability to turn bad ass. He would have made an awesome hunter in another life time. The woman's expression lost its arrogance at Castiel's declaration.

She sighed as though now bored by the turn of events despite her obvious surprise at the arrival of an angel.

'Fine, I'll tell you what you want to know,'

'And there you have it,' Sam said, slapping his hands down onto his thighs with finality.

Molly seemed to stare at him, he wondered if she were stunned – or disgusted. He had found himself opening up about everything he had done – the exorcisms, the demon blood, raising Lucifer and starting the apocalypse. No stone unturned as the saying went.

'It would help if you said something right now,' Sam said with a nervous smile.

'I guess we're almost even,' she said at last, once again breaking her eye contact with him. He wondered why she did that so much, it was almost as though she were afraid to look at him for too long.

'Almost?' Sam asked, pressing for more.

Molly stood up from the bed where they had seated themselves once again as Sam had told his story. She wandered over towards the kitchen table before pausing as though she had changed her mind or forgotten her original intention.

'I can control people, like that woman said, I can make them…do things,' she said, quietly, her back to him.

'Like what?' Sam asked, cautiously rising from the bed and taking a tentative step towards her before he changed his mind and stood still.

'Whatever I want,' she said before her voice went hoarse and her shoulders started to shake.

She was crying. Sam crossed the room in a few large strides and turned her around, pulling her into him. He held her as tightly as he could as though he could squeeze all the pain out of her, as though it would make a difference.

'Hey, hey, hey,' he said, softly, trying to comfort her. 'Everything is going to be fine. I promise you.'

'You can't promise that,' she said, lifting her head from where it was buried into his chest and tilting her face towards him. 'I don't have much control over these…abilities…I don't know the difference between what's real and what I've created, what I've manipulated.'

Sam couldn't bear to see her so torn. He empathised the anguish he had felt in himself so many times before; he knew how much it hurt. He didn't fully understand what powers she was describing yet but he could at least help her to keep perspective.

'This is all real,' he said, gesturing to the hotel room. 'I'm real' he added, meeting her eyes and trying his best to smile reassuringly.

Molly placed her hand on his chest and he felt his heart beat increase at the touch. Her eyes were still wet with tears but a faint smile touched her lips.

'Is that real?' she asked.

Sam was unable to answer with words. Instead he found himself moving his face closer to hers. She didn't move, apparently frozen in place but he could sense her trepidation. He leaned closer and pressed a gentle kiss on her mouth hoping she wouldn't push him away.

'Sam!'

Dean's voice cut through the silence in the room as Sam turned towards the door. His brother suddenly barrelled into him, knife in hand, knocking him to the floor. Dean sliced the knife across Sam's forearm, making him grunt with pain.

'Dean what are you doing?' Sam shouted, clutching the wound as Dean leaped to his feet and ran towards Molly.

Sam tried to cry out but found his voice catching in his throat as Dean pushed the bloody knife into Molly's side.

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A/N - ack I'm such a SamFan (especially when he's tormented) Hehe randomness over, sorry bout that just had to declare my love for the Sam!


	9. Chapter 8

**A/N - I'm doing well - another chapter. Weird thing is I think I woke up from dreaming this chapter. I woke up planning it out anyway, weird how my mind works sometimes. I didn't obsess as much this time either and just bashed it out so it's not very long and a bit angsty but who cares? I love a bit of angst. Also I apologise if I've made Dean out to be a complete ass, I love him dearly, but he is the tough one after all. **

**Enjoy...**

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**Chapter Eight.**

Dean felt a set of large, strong arms wrap around him and he was pulled to the floor. He didn't need to turn around to know that it was Sam. When had his weedy kid brother gotten so big and so strong? He didn't have any time to answer his own question. Sam skilfully wriggled out from beneath him and punched him in the gut. Dean grunted and dropped the knife. Where the hell was Cas? He could do with some help at this moment in time.

'Molly,' he heard Sam say her name in that quiet, concerned way that told him his brother already cared for her more than he should. It sounded the way he had when he spoke to Madison, when he knew he would have to kill her.

'Sam – ' Dean said with effort as he pushed himself to sitting.

Sam was crouched beside Molly who was exhaling short, sharp gasps, a look of pure agony and terror on her face. Sam appeared to be lifting the hem of her bloodied t- shirt to assess the wound.

'Hey, its not as bad as it looks,' he said, soothingly which infuriated Dean somewhat. Why did Sam always have to be the sensitive see-good-in-everyone type? Surely he had learned his lesson after Ruby?

'Sam – 'Dean said again, trying to get his brother's attention.

'Just shut up Dean,' Sam almost growled the words as he lifted Molly into his arms and carried her to the bed.

Dean rose to his feet, clenching his fists trying to remind himself that this was his kid brother, he couldn't kill him just for his attitude.

'Sam she's a – '

Sam whirled around; pure fury adorning his normally innocent looking features. 'I don't care what the hell she is!' he bellowed. 'You can't just storm in here and stick her with a knife!'

Dean said nothing, for once unsure of what to do next. Sam was pissed – majorly. He watched as he brother stomped to the other bed and rummaged angrily through his bag, withdrawing his home made first aid kit and turning back to care for Molly. If only he had made it back sooner, Sam might not be under this monsters influence. He had to deal with this as carefully as he could.

Sam fought hard to control his breathing, he was so angry with Dean. Thankfully, the knife only seemed to have made it a half an inch into Molly's side before he had wrestled Dean away. Any longer and he couldn't bear to think what he might be dealing with right now. The blood pouring from her wound was bad enough but the pressure he had applied seemed to have slowed it somewhat.

With a clean piece of gauze he wiped away as much of the blood as he could, whispering an apology to her when she gasped in pain. She opened her eyes to look at him as if to tell him he was forgiven except all he saw was sadness. He managed a weak half smile in some futile effort to appease her and picked up a needle and some stitch thread.

'This is probably going to hurt,' he whispered and began his task of stitching up her wound.

If it did, she made no indication that she was in pain. A bravery that made his heart pound even harder that it already did when he was in her presence. Dean's actions had only confirmed the magnitude of his feelings towards her. He was falling for her at lightning speed. If he was honest, he had probably been heading in that direction from the moment he laid eyes on her in the diner but he was not one to believe in love at first sight. The common sense part of him told him that as angry as he was with Dean, he still needed to hear him out. As rash as Dean's attempt to kill her had been, his brother was not as ruthless as Sam often accused him of being.

'How's that?' Sam asked, snipping the end of the thread and pressing a dressing over the wound.

'Not bad, actually,' Molly said, quietly.

She started to push herself into a sitting position, the strain in her injury evident on her face. Sam placed his hands on her shoulders to stop her but she shrugged him off.

'No, I'm fine. Besides, we all need to talk about this,' she said, looking over his shoulder in Dean's direction.

'Yeah, great,' Dean made no attempt to hide his sarcasm. 'Let's have a little chat with the monster.'

Molly visibly recoiled at the use of the word and Sam fought the urge to give his brother another punch to the gut.

'Dude, could you just cut it out and give her a chance?' Sam snapped, finally turning to face his brother after packing away the first aid.

'For crying out loud Sam!' Dean slammed his fist onto the table. 'When are you going to stop trusting people of the non-human persuasion' he made air-quotes around 'non-human persuasion' as if to suggest he was trying to be politically correct.

'Because she hasn't done anything wrong,' Sam protested, sitting down on the edge of the bed beside Molly.

'Yeah, not yet,' Dean scoffed, sitting down in a chair beside the table and shaking his head with disbelief.

The room remained silent for a moment or two as the occupants each deliberated mentally over what to say or do next.

'So what did you find out?' Molly finally asked, tired of the tension, figuring she may as well rip off the proverbial band-aid than sit here prolonging the agony.

Dean lifted his head to look at her, a scornful eyebrow raised. 'Like you don't know what you are. This has been your plan all along – to get Sam on your side. For all we know the demons were just a diversion and you're already working for Lucifer!'

Molly exhaled an incredulous laugh. 'You've got to be kidding me, two days ago I didn't even know that Lucifer really existed, that demons were real. I thought I was the only freak on the planet!'

'Dean, why don't you just give her the benefit of the doubt and – ' Sam began.

'I think you're doing enough of that for the both of us, Sammy,' Dean interrupted him. 'Why do you have to be so gullible all the time?'

' – and tell us what you found out,' Sam finished, clearly ignoring Dean's jibes.

Dean sighed and got up from his chair, heading to the refrigerator to remove a beer. Molly watched him, somewhat annoyed, wondering why he had to keep the suspense up any longer. As much as the truth about who she was frightened her, the possibility of finally knowing all the answers brought the potential for some relief. Finally, she would understand who – or what – she was.

She turned her head to look at Sam. He must have been able to see the angst in her expression as he threw her that reassuring half-smile again and lifted his hand to stroke her cheek gently.

A sudden thud made them both look in Dean's direction again. He had slammed the beer bottle down, sloshing some of the contents onto the table top. He remained standing, his fists clenched, clearly still very wound up.

'Sammy, her mother was a siren,' Dean said, apparently attempting to be as calm as he could.

Molly wasn't sure what that meant, she had never heard of a siren before. Sam's reaction told her that he had. She had never seen anyone move so quickly. He jumped up from where he had been sitting so closely to her and stared at her in such an accusatory way that she could have sworn she felt her heart break. It had been too good to be true. Deep down she had known that once he found out whatever 'monster' she was, he would be repelled by her and his body language right now was far from anything but.

'I'm such an idiot,' Sam hissed quietly as though scolding himself.

'Sam, wait, I don't even know what that means –' Molly said, hearing how pleading her voice sounded as she tried hard to stop the tears falling.

Foolishly, she reached for his hand. He jerked away so sharply she couldn't help but jump, causing the wound in her side to burn. Sam moved away from her, grabbing his jacket up from other bed.

'I need some air,' he stated, apparently to no-one in particular.

'Don't leave me with Dean,' Molly said, suddenly over taken by terror. 'What if he tries to kill me again?'

Sam hesitated with his hand on the doorknob. He pressed his forehead against the wood for a second before yanking the door open and storming outside, slamming it behind him.

Molly figured he didn't care if Dean took another stab at her. With that she fell back onto the pillows and sobbed unashamedly.

* * *

**A/N - damn u Sammy! LOL, its rather egotistical of me to be enjoying my own story, surely, ah well no-one is perfect!**


	10. Chapter 9

**A/N - Here I am again, I've been a motivated little bee this week. Alas my half term hols are nearly over so I may only manage another chapter before it's back to the grindstone but I'm really getting into the plot that is slowly forming in my head so hopefully will start updating more regularly than I did before. Sorry about the large X's denoting where the scene changes in this chapter. This is because in chapter six (or was it seven?) when I was trying to denote the switch between Dean and Cas in 1983 and Sam and Molly in the present, I had put asterisks in but I when I uploaded it for some reason they didn't appear but I didn't notice until after I'd published the chapter so sorry about that error too! Also hope I got the Siren mytholgy kind of right, if not, let's just say I've manipulated it for my own literary devices. **

**Thanks for all those who have added me to favourites, left me reviews or have simply read the story from the start and carried on. It gives me great joy just to write the random events in my imagination down but to know that people enjoy it makes me even happier (thanks for the ego boost hehe). **

**OK officially longest A/N ever. Sorry had a lot of coffee today! Hope you enjoy this chapter. **

* * *

**Chapter Nine**

Dean leant awkwardly against the edge of the table, unsure of where to put himself or what to do. The sound of the door slamming behind Sam seemed to still be ringing in his ears and Molly's barely suppressed sobs echoed in the background. Should he fetch her a Kleenex? He tapped his foot agitatedly against the table leg before deciding he could bear it no longer, marching into the bathroom and ferociously ripping some paper from the roll. He wasn't an expert in sympathy but he wasn't completely heartless.

'Here,' he said, sullenly after returning from the bathroom, holding the paper out at arms length so that Molly had to sit up to take it from him.

The insinuation that he felt the need to keep his distance from her apparently only served to upset her further. Her face crumpled and she fell back on to the bed again, burying her face into the pillow.

'Chicks,' Dean muttered under his breath, wondering how long it would be before Sam got back. Or Cas even for that matter. He would take frustrating celestial vagueness over crying chick flick moments any day.

X X X X

Sam had no idea where he was running to but the instant his feet had pounded the ground when he first exited the motel room, he had felt the urge to sprint. He didn't care that the muscles in his legs were starting to burn, he didn't care that his breath was coming in harsher gasps with every stride he took, he didn't care that the motel was now almost a couple of miles back in the direction he came. He barely cared enough to contemplate sad it was that years of running for his life seemed to have developed his fitness levels significantly.

All he cared about was that he had done it again. He had trusted Molly, like he had trusted Ruby, and she had turned out to be nothing more than a monster. His own choice of words pierced his conscience sharply. The look on her face flickered by in his memory. Could a monster look that devastated?

Coming to an abrupt halt, he bent over, his hands gripping his knees for support as he gasped to regain control of his breathing. His mind seemed to be as erratic as his lung function at that moment in time. He had been so sure that what he felt towards this strange girl they had inadvertently taken into their care was real but now he had the knowledge that she was related to a siren. A creature capable of controlling its victim's to whatever needs they saw fit. All it took was a bit of saliva to pass on the oxytocin.

Sam stood up suddenly as one thought came to him. The feelings he had been having he had felt since he met her. They had grown with intensity the longer the time he had spent with her but until today, she had had no opportunity to control him. She hadn't tried. He had been the one who instigated the kiss.

'God dammit!' he cursed aloud, startling a bird on a nearby hedge into flight.

He turned around and looked back at the road he had run down. Did he go back and try to defend her? Was she really this innocent or was this part of the illusion? The confusion was making his head hurt. Running his hands through his ever growing hair and sighing loudly, he deliberated over what to do next.

X X X

'So you think I've been controlling Sam?' Molly asked, still hiccoughing slightly from her crying fit.

Dean drained the last drop from his beer and immediately pulled another from the fridge. He wondered why it never seemed to do anything for him these days, like it was impossible to relax. Given the circumstances of his life recently, was it really any wonder?

At least Molly had calmed down enough for them to talk. He knew chicks were emotional but it felt like she had been crying for hours or maybe that was just because he had had to listen to it.

He could still feel the unease in the pit of his stomach but something had made him choose to listen to her questions instead of taking the opportunity to finish the job he had attempted less than an hour before. Perhaps it was the depth of crying she had achieved or the image in his mind of the look on Sam's face if he returned to find Molly dead. Annoyingly Dean knew it was more than likely the latter. Even despite his recent faults, Dean loved his kid brother to death, not that he would ever openly declare that to him. It used to be a mutual, unspoken given but he wondered if Sam still knew that. He was always giving the kid a hard time these days.

'Is that why you tried to kill me?' Molly asked, bringing Dean from his thoughts.

'No, I tried to kill you because that's what I do for a living,' he said bluntly, trying to ignore the slight guilt he felt when he saw her reaction.

She's not human, she's not human, she's not human he reminded himself as though it should make a difference. Sam, after all these years, must be starting to rub off on him. Shoot first, ask questions later seemed to have turned into shoot to miss, ask questions, then maybe have a group hug afterwards, he thought irritably.

'Look, its nothing personal,' he said in an uncharacteristic attempt to redeem himself. 'But in my experience, most things supernatural don't exactly have rosy intentions, therefore I gank them before they gank me!'

'So you just don't trust anyone?' Molly asked her voice terse as though her confident attitude was starting to return now that she had recovered from her short emotional break down.

'Of the non-human persuasion,' he clarified.

Dean noticed how her expression shifted slightly, like Sam's face when he tried to hide something from him. That familiar flicker of unease. She lifted her chin slightly, as though in defiance.

'How do you know I'm not human?' she challenged, sitting up straighter on the bed.

Dean laughed, almost scornfully. The look on your face, he thought, you know there's something not right about you. He chose not to voice this thought.

'Uh, your mother was a siren?'

'What about my father?'

'Huh' was all Dean managed before the door to the room burst open.

Sam stopped mid-run, his hand still on the doorknob and glanced from Dean to Molly who sat in the same position on the bed as she had been when he left, still very much alive. Relief washed through him and he exhaled loudly, his heart thumping painfully against his rib cage.

'What?' he heard Dean ask, a little irritated.

'Nothing, I just thought – ' Sam started to reply but then realised he wasn't sure how to explain that he had feared he wouldn't get back in time, that Dean would have murdered Molly whilst he was absent. He clearly had temporarily lost his mind and not given his older brother any credit at all.

He turned to look at Molly, trying to think of the best way to apologise for his abrupt exit. Dean would always criticise him for giving people the benefit of the doubt but he had decided that he was not about to change now. He struggled to sleep at night as it was with everything he had weighing on his conscience; he didn't need to add anything more.

A scream from Molly cut through the sudden moment of silence as Castiel appeared, from nowhere as always, clearly startling her. In the corner of his eye, Sam noticed Dean twitch slightly in surprise as well.

'Damn it Cas!'

Sam repressed the urge to laugh as Molly and Dean both simultaneously expressed their disapproval at Castiel's unrelenting need to literally drop in unannounced. Castiel glanced briefly between the two before clearing his throat and turning so that he faced Molly directly.

'We need to go. I have a lead on your father.'

* * *

**A/N - Would just like to announce after watching the 100th episode of Supernatural for the first time the other night that Jensen Ackles is an absolute legend! Not that that wasn't obvious already but it just had to be said. Also, loving 'Kick Ass Cass' as I have now affectionately dubbed him. Keep rocking the trench coat Misha Collins! Yup, definitely had too much caffeine today!**


	11. Chapter 10

**A/N - Ok so it's been ages since I updated - sorry about that - been very busy writing end of school reports but they all done now woohoo. I have now completed this story but I will be posting it up bit by bit cos I don't want to rush it. **

**Apologies for how uneventful this chapter is, I was just trying to tie up some character stuff so it's kind of a filler so I'm gonna post chapter 11 in a minute as well. Hope those of you who have been following this will stick with me after this boring ramble. It's gonna get better soon. **

**thanks again for reading thus far xxx**

* * *

**Chapter Ten**

'You people infuriate me,' Castiel said, shuffling in his seat in the back of the Impala.

Dean looked at Sam in the passenger seat and rolled his eyes, smirking slightly. The sun was starting to set and they were only halfway towards their destination. Castiel had wanted to transport them the fifteen hundred miles they needed to travel to get to their destination but, to everyone's surprise it was Molly that had refused. Since Castiel was adamant they could not go without her, they had had no alternative but to drive. Dean, although no fan of Castiel's method of travel, was curious as to Molly's reasons and had managed to trick it out of her.

'What's the big deal with the refusal to go angel-style?' he had asked her at their first bathroom stop, four hours into the drive. Sam had gone into the store to get some food supplies, Castiel accompanying him in order to 'stretch his legs'.

The look of avoidance Molly had given Dean made it clear that she did not want to answer his question.

'Hey, you want me to trust you, start answering my questions,' he said slightly more harshly than he intended. He had a sneaking suspicion what the problem was and he figured he could persuade her in his own way.

'I just don't like it,' she said quietly, looking down at her hands.

Dean had fought hard to keep his smirk from covering his entire face. He now knew exactly what was wrong and he was enjoying every minute of it.

'Admit it,' he said trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.

Molly lifted her head abruptly and looked at him, eyes wide and innocent. 'I don't know what you're talking about.'

Dean could feel his face aching with the effort it took not to burst into laughter.

'You don't like travelling angel-style?' he asked probingly. 'Instant arrival at your destination? No sitting in a car making awkward small talk? No needing to stop for bathroom breaks?'

She threw a scowl his way at the last 'perk' of angel travel he presented. Dean felt the grip on his suppressed smile beginning to slip.

'I notice you haven't been to the bathroom yet, our first rest stop in four hours. You sure you don't need a comfort break?' he asked, struggling to make it any less obvious that he knew what was wrong.

'Damn you,' she muttered, climbing out of the car and slamming the door so hard it made him wince. She lowered her head so she could look through the window. 'OK, so you were right about the colonic complications of angel travel. I'll leave you to do your victory dance.'

Another hour into their trip and Dean started chuckling at the memory again. He noticed Sam from the corner of his eye frowning at him.

'Dude, what's so funny?' Sam asked, sounded irritated. Jeez, if they were in for a long road trip, he needed to chill out!

'Nothing, why don't you ask your girlfriend?' Dean replied, refocusing his eyes back on the road making no attempt to hide his extra large smug grin.

Sam sighed and slumped down further into his seat. Dean could be so annoying sometimes, especially on long haul trips like this one. He was starting to wish Molly hadn't insisted on them driving. They could have been there and back by now. But, Castiel seemed unusually keen to do what Molly wanted and agreed, somewhat begrudgingly, that they should drive. As that seemed to work in her favour and no-one was keen to kill her right now, Sam was not about to argue.

Glancing at her in the rear view mirror now he found himself questioning how much of a weapon she could really be to Lucifer. Maybe that was just wishful thinking on his part, he still couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to her but he had managed to keep his distance for now. It was too confusing to keep turning over in his mind that there was still a possibility that his feelings were not entirely real. Besides he didn't need to give Dean anymore reason to doubt him either. For now, this needed to be like any other case. Do the research, follow the leads, and answer the questions. He needed to be professional – as if what they did could be considered a profession. He didn't remember hearing 'hunter of the supernatural' as an option at any high school careers fair as a child.

Molly caught Sam looking at her reflection in the rear view mirror. For a split second she maintained his eye contact before abruptly blinking and looking away, hoping that he hadn't thought she was staring. She sighed and gazed out of the window watching the monotonous repetition of empty roads going by. It had been like this for most of the drive so far.

After they had climbed into the Impala and begun their journey, Castiel had revealed that he had a lead on a demon that might be prepared to speak to them. Dean soon explained when confusion filled Molly's expression that occasionally, though very rarely, they came across demons that were not in league with Lucifer's plan.

'Demons are selfish,' he'd said with a slight knowing glance in Sam's direction. 'When it comes down to it, they're like rats on a sinking ship, out to save themselves.'

Molly didn't know what that meant for her or how it would help to solve the mystery of her father. Even now as she sat gazing out of the window listening to the silence that their road trip had become shortly after, she felt no reassurance that finding answers was a good thing. Hell, Sam's reaction to the siren thing had been bad enough; she didn't want to go through the same thing again - or worse. If they found out her father was twice as evil as her mother, he might not be so quick to defend her.

X X X

Swiping the condensation from the mirror, Molly readjusted the towel she had wrapped around herself and sighed. After she had successfully won the 'I want my own room' argument with Dean upon their arrival she had taken the opportunity to take the longest, hottest shower she'd had in a long time in an attempt to clear her mind of everything. It had worked for a little while. Now she was back to chewing over everything again.

She still didn't know everything about her birth parents, she was becoming increasingly confused about controlling her powers and then there was Sam…Her stomach tightened uncomfortably as the image of the shock and near revulsion on his face crossed her mind again. She hated that he had looked at her like that, hated that she couldn't stop thinking about him. Yearning was such a weak character trait, she had always been so strong about matters of the heart.

A loud knock on the door shook her back to reality. She tightened the bath towel again and trotted to the door of the room. Without thinking, she turned the handle and pulled it open.

Speak of the devil, she thought and nearly laughed at the irony of that expression.

Sam stood in the doorway, his large frame almost filling the space. His hands were stuffed into the pockets of his jacket and he hunched his shoulders slightly. He looked as awkward as she felt. He took a step towards her, crossing the threshold.

'I heard you won an argument with Dean.' he said, a light smile on his face. 'You'll have to teach me how to do that sometime.' He was trying to break the ice.

She shrugged awkwardly and avoided looking at him, trying her hardest not to make a big deal out of how close he was to her. She could smell the scent he wore alongside the faint mustiness of his jacket which clearly got worn a lot more often than it did dry-cleaned. Not that it smelt bad, she thought before reminding herself that she should not be thinking about how good he smelt when she had only a towel to protect her modesty.

'Umm, come in,' she said, stepping away from him. 'I'll be right back, just need to throw some clothes on.'

Sam nodded as she disappeared into the bathroom. He walked further into the room and closed the door behind him. Molly called out something but, with the bathroom door almost closed, her voice was muffled.

'Sorry, what did you say?' Sam asked, ambling slowly in the direction of the bathroom, glancing around the room as he did so.

'I said it was just a case of making Dean realise what he really wanted.' There was a hint of amusement in her voice.

Sam grinned as he leaned his back against the wall beside the bathroom door. He could hear the ruffling of material as she got dressed.

'And what was that?' He replied, starting to relax a little.

'A break from me.'

He heard her chuckle from inside the bathroom and had to smile again himself. It was always amusing to know someone had got one over on Dean. He could be so stubborn at times. He guessed it was just because his brother was always so focussed on the job. The bathroom door opened suddenly and she stepped out.

'Well, nice work,' Sam smiled down at her receiving a wide smile in return.

'So, what do you want?' she asked after a brief moment of awkward silence.

She walked over to the bed and started putting her wash bag into her holdall. Sam stepped towards her and then stopped, deciding it was best he didn't get too close again, it was too distracting.

'Um, Castiel said he tracked down this demon he wants to talk to,' he said, shoving his hands in his pockets again.

'About my Dad?' she asked, quietly, not looking up from her bag.

'Yeah,'

Molly sighed. 'You know, I've been thinking, maybe I don't want to know,' she looked up at him, her expression suggesting she knew she didn't have much choice either way.

'Why not?' Sam asked. 'Don't you want to know where you came from?'

Molly shrugged and looked down at the floor.

'You saw how Dean reacted when he found about my mother, what do you think he's going to do when we find out about my father or when he finds out about my other ability whatever the hell that is,' she said.

Sam hung his head for a moment, knowing that although she didn't say it, she wasn't just talking about the way Dean had reacted. With a sigh, he looked up again. Molly was still staring at the floor as though she were afraid to face him. He crossed the room in two large strides and gently took hold of her chin, lifting her face to look at him.

'I'm sorry,' he whispered, trying hard to focus on the task of reassuring her instead of getting lost in her eyes.

'For what?'

'For the way that _I _reacted,' he said, noticing how her eyes had started to shine with the threat of tears. 'I was a jerk.'

Molly shrugged and shook her head so that he lost his grip on her face.

'It doesn't matter now,' she said.

'Yes it does!' Sam snapped without intending to.

She looked up at him, clearly surprised by his tone. He lowered his face slightly so that she could see how serious he was.

'I won't let anyone or anything hurt you, OK?' he promised.

Molly nodded feeling her heart pound with the way he looked at her 'OK.'

Sam exhaled heavily as though the promise was a great weight off his shoulders and cleared his throat, his attitude suddenly changing. He gave a mock-punch to her arm.

'Cool, so let's go see this demon,' he said before marching to the door and holding it open for her.

Molly managed a half-smile, picking up her coat on her way out of the door. She knew what he was trying to do with this sudden playful manner. He was trying to make it clear he would be her friend but that was all. He had clearly realised he was getting too close again and was trying to distance himself.

She tried to ignore the tight feeling in her chest as she began to understand that whatever had nearly happened between them was certainly never going to happen again.

'Hey Cas,' she said, putting on a brave face upon seeing the angel waiting in the parking lot. 'What's happening?'

'The demon is at a bar a few miles from here. We need your particular…talents.' He said, pausing as though trying to explain himself as delicately as possible.

Molly pulled a face, at first not quite understanding Castiel's meaning. When it dawned on her, she got a nauseous feeling in her stomach. She didn't normally use her ability to extort information. She wasn't even sure she knew how.

The insistent beeping of a car horn stopped her from thinking about it any further. Dean sat in the driving seat of the Impala, engine already running with an impatient look on his face.

'Come on already!' he demanded.

'Yeah, yeah, keep your pants on,' she muttered to herself as she followed Sam and Castiel to the vehicle.

* * *

**A/N - Like i said, sorry bout this chapter but it will all link eventually. **


	12. Chapter 11

**A/N - OK, hope my writing is back on track after the last chapter. Chapter ten was like my 'hump in the road' chapter. it took my ages to write and there wasn't a lot going on but hopefully it will all be plain sailing from here. **

**If I have contradicted any of the siren mythology from the show then it is accidental - call it artistic licence. Also I know nothing of the Geography of the USA so I will be honest and say I plucked the first American place name out of my head but the place is irrelevant to the story, I just needed a name!**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter. xxx**

* * *

**Chapter Eleven.**

Dean rolled his near empty beer bottle between his hands watching the activity in the room. Castiel stood near the bar, attempting to look like a regular customer. Dean smirked at how awkwardly the angel stood with a pint glass in his hand. He had a lot to learn about blending in and trying to look human.

Shifting his gaze Dean saw Sam leaning against a wall near the pool tables, a bottle in his hand. It wasn't difficult to see why he was standing there, aside from the fact they had each purposely taken different surveillance positions around the room. Sam had a direct line of sight to where Molly was sitting. Dean could tell from his brother's facial expression that he was far from happy about the plan.

Molly was to entice the demon into giving her information. When Castiel had relayed the plan to them on the drive over, Dean had sensed Sam's disapproval simply through his lack of response. Now, Dean watched as Sam stared across the room at the man sitting beside Molly. It gave new meaning to phrase 'if looks could kill' and made Dean uneasy. Despite the knowledge that Molly was at least half-siren, Sam still seemed to have feelings for the girl. As far as Dean was concerned, it was a ticking time bomb waiting to go off.

He downed the last drop from his beer bottle, tapping his foot impatiently against the table leg.

'Come on Molly, do your thing already,' he muttered to himself, sensing the danger they could soon be in if they didn't get this over with quickly.

Sam tightened his grip around his beer as he watched the demon smile suggestively at Molly. She returned the smile, equally suggestive, and placed her hand on his knee. Sam swallowed hard; trying to ignore the anger he could feel rising up in him. He couldn't stand the way the demon was looking at her. Glancing across the room he saw Dean shoot him a knowing look as his lifted up his cell phone and pointed to it. Reaching into his pocket, Sam retrieved his own phone seeing that he had one new message from his brother:

_Dude, could you be more jealous? _

Sam looked across the bar and scowled at him before sending a text in response.

_Bite me!_

He stuffed his phone back into his pocket, not bothering to look to see Dean's reaction, instead focussing his attention on Molly. It might be driving him crazy to see what was unfolding in front of his eyes but he needed to make sure she was safe. If the demon discovered who she was, he might decide it was better for him to turn her over to Lucifer than help them with finding out more about her parentage.

So far, they knew that the demon sitting with Molly had spoken to another demon, claiming to know everything about Lucifer's secret weapon. Castiel had overheard this conversation and then tracked the demon down to this bar. Now Sam sat watching Molly, feeling pretty useless.

He saw Molly lean in closer to the demon as though whispering something in his ear. The demon smiled and moved in to kiss her. Sam exhaled irritably and stormed over to the bar, slamming his empty bottle down on the counter top. The barman eyed him disapprovingly before pouring the double shot of whiskey that Sam ordered. He snatched up the glass and downed the liquid in one gulp, barely wincing at the burn he felt as it slid down his throat.

As he put the glass down and demanded another, he saw Castiel from the corner of his eye as he joined him at the counter.

'I have to say, this isn't your best plan Cas,' Sam muttered bitterly.

'Why is that?' Cas replied. 'She nearly has the information we need.'

Sam turned around with his refilled glass in his hand and leant back against the bar, resting his elbows on the edge. He could see Molly returning the kiss that the demon had instigated and he felt the anger surge through him again. He knocked back the refill faster than he had the first.

'God, how much longer do we have to be here?' he muttered to himself as he watched Molly pull away and start talking to the demon.

Sam noticed how the demon's behaviour had changed. It was staring at Molly as she spoke as though it were unable to remove its gaze from her. As though it were lovesick.

'Not much longer, I think she is making progress,' Castiel said.

Molly continued with her façade, pretending to be hung on every word the man said, trying to ignore the fact she knew he was a demon and the fear it instilled in her. So far, everything she had done seemed to be working.

'So,' she said as casually as possible, feeling her heart rate increase with how risky this situation seemed to be getting. 'What do you know about this weapon Lucifer is trying to track down?'

The demon's eyes widened with enthusiasm. 'It's a very powerful hybrid. It's going to be very useful in bringing on the apocalypse.'

Molly suppressed a shiver at the word 'hybrid' part of her hoping that maybe Castiel had gotten it wrong and that she wasn't the weapon.

'Why does he need a weapon anyway,' she said. 'I mean, he's Lucifer, how much help does he really need?'

The demon chuckled evilly. 'Everyone needs a back up plan,' he said. 'The weapon is more a kind of insurance plan, to help Lucifer get what he wants.'

'So have you seen this weapon?' Molly asked. 'What's it a hybrid of?'

The demon grinned wickedly and leaned in closer.

'The mother was a siren, a handy skill for a weapon; you know these humans are easily manipulated as it is but a siren, very capable of manipulation,'

Molly could have laughed at how naïve that demon sounded at that moment in time. The knowledge that she was using that very power right now served the demon right.

'Where is she now?' Molly found herself asking, almost forgetting the purpose of this interrogation for a moment.

'Dead' the demon said simply, running his fingers up and down her arm giving her goose bumps in a very unpleasant way.

She felt her blood run cold. 'Dead?'

'Yep, killed years ago. '83 I think.' The demon said.

Molly tried to ignore the nagging idea in the back of her mind that Dean may have had something to with that. That was the year he said that he and Castiel had gone back to when they first discovered her mother was a siren. She planned to confront him about it later but knew that right now, she had this demon where she wanted; spilling the beans on everything she needed to know.

'What about the father, where is he?'

'Somewhere in Connecticut last I heard. He's probably dead by now,' the demon sneered.

'What makes you say that?' Molly asked, wondering how much more of this vile creature she had to endure.

Before the demon had a chance to answer, another man stopped by their table and leaned in to whisper in his ear. Molly watched as the expression on the demon's face changed and the eyes of both of them turned to ebony.

The demon she had been questioning knew the truth. He hissed and reached forward to grab her throat. Sam was at her side in an instant, grabbing her arm and pulling her in the direction of the exit. She looked back briefly to see Castiel press his fingertips against the foreheads of both demons and they vanished along with him.

'Come on, we need to go,' Sam said, making her realise she had stopped and become frozen to the spot, her eyes fixed on where the demons had been.

'Come on, Molly,' she heard Dean's voice next to her and felt him take her other arm.

Before she had chance to consider fighting back the two brothers had her out of the bar and headed for the Impala. She heard the creak of the car door as one of them pulled it open and felt herself being guided into her seat. Within seconds, the engine was running and they were speeding away from the bar. As the fresh air flowing through the window hit her in the face, she seemed to be returned to her senses.

Looking ahead she saw Dean alone in the front of the car. Turning to her right she realised Sam was sitting beside her.

'You alright?' he asked, the distance he kept across the seat from her contradicting the quiet softness of concern in his voice.

'Stupid question,' Molly said a little more bitterly than she knew he deserved but she was starting to get tired of the recent turn her life had taken.

'What did you find out?' Dean's matter-of-fact tone came from the front of the car.

Molly rolled her eyes stubbornly and glanced out of the window, wondering if it was worth the hassle of saying nothing. For starters, she didn't think the small amount of information she had gathered was of any use except to fuel Dean's dislike of her.

'Well?' he pressed, his eyes catching hers in the rear view mirror.

Molly exhaled angrily.

'My Mom's dead did you know that?' she snapped.

For once Dean was silent. A look crossed his face that betrayed his guilt. She felt Sam's hand rest on hers.

'Molly –' he started but stopped when she roughly batted his hand away from her.

'Don't!' she said, casting a glare in his direction. He settled back into his seat, clearly getting the hint that this was between her and Dean.

'Hey, I'm not the one that killed her!' Dean protested.

'Really? I guess it's just extremely convenient that she died the same year that you said Castiel took you back to which is ridiculously weird in itself, I mean this car isn't exactly the Delorean – '

'Hey don't hate the wheels!' Dean interrupted.

'Dude, so not the point right now,' Sam muttered.

'Shut up Sam!' Molly and Dean ordered at the same time sending the younger Winchester back to sitting silently.

'Look,' Dean said his voice much softer now as though he were either trying to be serious or gain her trust. He had no chance of the latter she thought to herself. 'When Cas and I went back we spoke to her, we tried to find out about your father –'

'And she wouldn't tell you so you killed her?' Molly finished, voicing the suspicions she had harboured since discovering her mother was dead.

'No!' Dean snapped, frustrated before taking a breath and lowering his voice again. 'She got away from us, packed a hell of a punch actually. We went after her but by the time we found her, she was already dead. Someone beat us to it.'

Dean looked in the rear view mirror again. The angry expression he had seen on her face had softened somewhat and he could see the way she changed as the explanation he had presented her with made sense. Then again, he couldn't blame her for the conclusion she had jumped to in the first place. It would not be totally out of character for him to want to off a siren. Hell, he had tried to kill her the first chance he got. In hindsight, he was wondering if that was a mistake, there was something about her reactions, she seemed so human…

'Connecticut,' Castiel said as he appeared in the passenger speaking as though he had been there all along.

'Say what?' Dean said, both startled and confused.

'That's where my father is,' Molly said, all the fight now gone from her.

'Alrighty,' Dean said, increasing the speed of the car and instructing Sam to get the map out.

'We're going there now?' Molly asked, disapprovingly.

'Yeah,' Dean said, feeling the irritation she caused him beginning to return. His earlier observation that she could still be partly human was lost to him again. Whatever she was, she was annoying.

'It's really late, couldn't we at least hit the sack for the night, pick this up first thing?' she asked, pleadingly.

Dean sighed, glancing at her in the mirror and finding his contemplation of her humanity returning. She did look tired and, admittedly, she had had a long night, what with sucking face with a demon in the name of research. He hated the fact that his stubbornness did not seem to be withstanding much this evening. If he was honest, he was exhausted himself, had not slept that well since this all began.

'What do you think Cas?' he asked, turning to look at the angel beside him.

'Yet another way you humans frustrate me,' Castiel replied. 'Perhaps Molly is right, I know how cranky you get when you have not rested.'

'I do not get cranky!' Dean shouted.

The raised eyebrow from Castiel and the quiet chuckle that came from Sam in the backseat proved the point. Dean steered the car round a left turning and headed for the motel.

X X X

Molly could have kissed Castiel for agreeing with her. Given her 'abilities' it may not have gone down well. The last thing she wanted was to be accused of trying to mess with an angel of the lord. After hovering for a half hour or so, whilst Sam and Dean calculated the most efficient route to the address in Conneticut that Cas had extracted from the demon after leaving the bar, she had excused herself and retired to her room. It had almost been entertaining enough to stay in their room longer. Watching the brother's debate over routes to take especially with Castiel's in put of 'well, if you must insist on travelling by car, it will take longer' would have made her laugh out loud had her mind not been on other matters.

Checking her bag, she zipped it up and threw it over her shoulder. After laying on her bed for what felt like an eternity the sound of Sam and Dean turning off the lights had finally come. Not long after, she had peered out from behind the curtains on her window to see Castiel stepping out of the motel room and disappearing in his trademark manner.

Confident that the brothers were now sound asleep, she turned off her own light, opened the door and stepped onto the gravel. Slowly closing the door behind her so that the click of the latch could barely be heard, she took a deep breath and thought over her plan. She had the address of her father memorised thanks to her observations of Sam and Dean's navigations.

Tired of feeling like a prisoner, through no fault of her own, she had decided she would find out the rest of the puzzle for herself. It was her father, why did she need to wait for someone else's permission? All she needed now was transport…

Looking across the parking lot, her eyes fell on the Impala and for once she was glad of her freaky abilities, even if she hadn't quite gotten the hang of them. Closing her eyes and concentrating it surprised her how little time it took for the feel of cool metal in her hand.

Unfolding her fingers, she couldn't help but smile at the keys in her hand that seemed to glint triumphantly under the glare from the motels 'no vacancy' sign. She chuckled to herself.

'Dean is going want to kill me…again.'

With that she trotted as quickly as she could across the parking lot to the waiting Impala.

* * *

**A/N - I am ashamed to admit that when I read this back to check for typos, I actually chuckled to myself. Is that egotistical? I hope not! Fingers crossed you are all still curious to see what happens next xx**

**Advance fluff warning for a future chapter as well. Thought I'd warn you now! It is necessary fluff though I promise! :)**


	13. Chapter 12

**A/N - Ok this chapter may annoy for several reasons. Main one, it does jump around a bit but for all the things I needed to happen I had to keep switching scenes or else I would have ended up with loads of really short chapters (too short chapters annoy me) so that is why this is quite long and has lots of jumping from one place to another. **

**2nd reason, development of character relationships are always difficult I hope I balanced the fluff with the relevance if that makes sense.**

**Final point - the song mentioned is 'when the world comes down' a song I adore by the all american rejects. it inspired the chapter a couple of weeks before I wrote it, I was listening to it and suddenly pictured the scene so I had to mention it. Sorry to go all 'song fic' on this chapter, was not my intention. **

**Thanks for still reading and enjoy xx**

* * *

**Chapter Twelve. **

'And where do you think you're going?'

Molly inhaled sharply and turned her head swiftly to see who was beside her in the passenger seat. When she had first heard the door open and felt the car dip slightly with the extra weight her initial thought had been demon. Now she saw Sam's patient slightly amused face looking back at her. She exhaled the breath she had held and tried hard not to feel defeated.

'I thought you were sleeping,' she said, making her disappointment more than clear.

His mouth twitched at the corner into a small smile. 'I was at the vending machine getting a soda and I saw you sneaking out.'

'And you're finding that amusing because…?' Molly added a large dose of sarcasm to her tone, annoyed that he had caught her in the act and more annoyed that he apparently found it hilarious.

Sam tried to remove the smile from his face. He admired her escape attempt, flawed though it was. Her behaviour before she disappeared to her own room had been enough of a warning signal that she was up to something. She clearly didn't have much experience in being evasive.

He tossed one of the coke cans into her lap. She looked down at it before shooting him a look of incredulity.

'I wasn't really thirsty,' he said, smiling at the look on her face. 'I figured you might need a drink for the drive.'

Molly raised an eyebrow and looked as though she was now fighting back her own smile.

'You sure about this?' she asked.

Sam nodded. 'If you're about to do what I think you're going to do, I understand but…' he let his face go serious for a moment. 'I'm not about to let you do it alone.'

Molly nodded and seemed to smile gratefully at him; it was hard to tell in the limited light. She sighed, perhaps somewhat triumphantly, and started the car. Sam leaned instinctively over the steering wheel and clicked the lights so that they went off. Molly twitched, clearly startled by his sudden movement.

'Sorry,' he said, not sure why he was whispering. 'I didn't want the lights to draw any attention to us.'

'S'ok,' Molly muttered fixing her eyes on the road and steering the car out of the parking lot. 'Here goes nothing.'

Here comes trouble, Sam thought.

X X X

The piercing light streaming through the crack in the drapes shook Dean out of his slumber. Rubbing his eyes and groaning, he rolled over on to his back.

'Sam, what the hell time is it?' he said, hoarsely. It was so bright, he assumed they had overslept. It didn't happen often but he had been exhausted by the time he hit the mattress. 'I thought you set the alarm?' he spoke again.

As he felt the foggy haze in his head begin to clear as he woke up properly, he realised Sam really should have answered by now. Sitting up, he glanced at the clock that told him it was noon already. He then looked at the bed next to his. It was empty, hadn't been slept in. With a groan of annoyance, he pulled himself out of bed and threw on his jeans and last nights t-shirt wrinkling his nose at the slight smell that wafted from it.

He grabbed the gun from beneath his pillow and tucked it in the waistband at the back of his jeans before slipping his feet into his shoes and heading out of the door. Hesitating by the door to Molly's room, he found himself almost praying that he would not see his brother in the throes of passion with her. There were some things the eyes were not meant to see and that was one of them.

Turning the handle slowly, he found that the door was not even locked. Surely Sam would have made sure to drop the latch if he was 'busy.' Retrieving the gun from his waistband, Dean turned the handle all the way and pushed the door open with the tip of his shoe.

The room was completely empty. Molly's bed did not appear to have been slept in either. A quick sweep of the room revealed her things were gone as well.

'Shit!' he cursed aloud and heading out of the room again.

He was preparing to go back to his own room to get his phone to call Sam and tear him a new one when his eyes fell on the empty space in the parking lot. The Impala was gone.

'Son of a bitch!'

Dean was well and truly pissed now. It was one thing for them to sneak off in the night when they were still in the middle of figuring out this whole mess but to take his 'baby' with them was too much.

He stomped angrily on the wooden decking as he walked back to his room, trying to retain control of his breathing whilst resisting the urge to scream out loud. His mind was so distracted by his fury at Sam he didn't exercise any caution when opening the door and stepping inside.

His error was the last thing that crossed his mind as he felt the pain from a sharp blow to the back of his head and crumpled to the floor, his consciousness slipping away too quickly for him to mentally scold himself for being so stupid.

X X X

The wind blasting through the open window of the Impala was slapping Sam in the face and if he was honest, he was freezing. The sight of Molly, her chin lifted triumphantly, her curly hair dancing on the breeze prevented him from complaining. She looked so happy, more relieved than he had seen her since they had met. Her eyes seemed to twinkle again and he wondered if perhaps Dean, Castiel and he had been wrong to keep such close tabs on her. She had committed no crime yet they seemed to have been treating her like a prisoner by keeping her with them at all times, not to mention Dean trying to hunt her like a regular old supernatural being. Molly was anything but regular.

'What's with you?' he heard her say, bringing him back to reality.

'Nothing,' he said, clearing his throat awkwardly and looking at the road ahead.

'Your mom never teach you not to stare?' she smirked, an apparent attempt at playful conversation.

Sam exhaled a kind of laugh although nothing about it was funny. 'My mom died when I was a baby,' he blurted out.

'Oh shit, Sam, I'm sorry,' Molly looked at him, embarrassment clear on her face.

Sam waved a hand in the air. 'Don't sweat it, it's my fault I should have just let it be.'

They continued on down the road in silence for another five minutes or so. Sam began to wonder if he had now killed any future conversation and tried to think of some way to break the ice again. In the end, Molly did it for him.

'What time is it?' she said, somewhat abruptly.

Sam glanced at his watch. 'Half past twelve,' he said, surprised. He couldn't believe they had been driving so long.

'Wow,' Molly seemed to echo his astonishment. 'We've been on the road a while, how did we manage six hours non stop?'

Sam shrugged. 'Nothing new for me, I guess, Dean and I drive all over the country all the time. We've made some pretty long trips before but…' he wriggled uncomfortably in his seat. 'Now that you mention it, a bathroom break would be a good plan.'

Molly nodded enthusiastically 'I feel your pain!' she grinned before continuing. 'I saw a sign for a motel not far up ahead. Think we should stop there and set up base camp so to speak?'

'Absolutely,' Sam said, thinking that he would settle for anywhere right now, the urge to pee was suddenly so strong, now that he was aware of it.

She must have sensed the renewed urgency in his voice because she chuckled and suggested maybe they drive the last hour and a half that it would take to reach their destination. He groaned and tried not to laugh too hard as she steered the car down the turning and pulled up to the front of the motel.

X X X

Dean groaned and opened his eyes. The searing pain that shot through his skull forced him to close them almost immediately. As he waited for the throbbing to go down, he tried to piece together what had happened. Last he remembered he was cursing the day his brother was born and making a mental promise that if his car came back with so much as a scratch on it, Lucifer would be the least of Sam's problems. He had headed back into his room, his blood pounding angrily in his ears and then…

He groaned again and tried to re-open his eyes, slower this time so that the light didn't cause the same agony as before. Blinking and gritting his teeth against the pain in his head, he looked around and tried to get his bearings.

His arms were pulled behind him, bound at the wrists. A quick look down told him he was tied to a chair, his feet too. Things began to return to him at last. Someone – more likely something – had knocked him out when he re-entered the room.

'Rise and shine Dean – o,' a smooth, quiet voice said.

Dean turned his head to the left to look at the person sitting on the end of the bed. A man in his late thirties with large, sad eyes and bad skin. Skin that was peeling unnaturally. Dean recognised him almost immediately.

'Lucifer!'

X X X

Sam looked down at the phone in his hand. He had opened the contacts and scrolled down until the cursor highlighted Dean's number but he hadn't yet pressed call. He assumed it wouldn't take long for his brother to work out where they had gone; in fact he was amazed he hadn't caught up with them already. Even without his precious Impala - the theft of which was only going to rub salt in the wound of them disappearing in the middle of the night – he could have reached them with Castiel's help within seconds.

'You alright?' Molly said, emerging from the bathroom in a fresh set of close fitting blue jeans and a thin strapped top.

'Uh, yeah,' Sam said, trying not to focus on how she had changed her hair, the way the looser curls fell from her hair band to frame her face perfectly. 'I was just checking for messages.'

'Dean?' Molly guessed, walking over to the other bed and putting her old clothes back into her bag.

'Yeah,' Sam laughed. 'I can't understand why he hasn't left me several angry voice mails yet.'

'Maybe, he hasn't realised where you are,' Molly said.

Sam laughed again at her naivety. 'I don't know, Dean's not that that stupid.'

'Not as stupid as he looks anyway,' Molly joked.

'Hey, he's still my brother,' Sam protested, only half-serious.

'You didn't have to come with me you know,' Molly said, turning to face him, suddenly sounding put out.

Sam nodded apologetically. 'I know but…'

He stopped and looked at the floor. He couldn't find the best reason for him to have come with her. Other than the fact he felt an insane desire to protect her, something he didn't want to have to admit. She must have known his feelings towards her, the one brief kiss they had shared was a bit of a give away although his subsequent rejection of her may have given her reason to think otherwise. He didn't know what was for the best. Did he carry on protecting her, as a friend or did he share how he felt with her?

'Penny for them?' she said, quietly. He realised he had been sitting staring into space for a little while now.

'Food,' he said, randomly. 'We should go get some, I'm starved.'

Molly smirked and nodded. 'Best idea I've heard all day.'

X X X

'Good to see you again too, Dean,' Lucifer said, conversationally as though they were old friends that had bumped into one another in the street.

Dean scowled. 'Feeling aint mutual.' He said, petulantly.

A sharp slap across his face both surprised and confused him. Lucifer was still sitting calmly on the edge of the bed. Recovering from the recoil, Dean turned his head to the side to see a female demon standing beside the chair he was strapped to.

'Now, now Annie,' Lucifer chided. 'There's no need for violence.'

Dean pulled a face. What was this freak on? Lucifer's peaceful manner contradicted his intentions. He acted more like a Buddhist than a fallen angel hell bent on ending the world.

'What do you want?' Dean snapped, growing tired of the charade and desperately trying to conjure up an escape plan.

Lucifer smiled gently. 'Where is it?' He asked, patiently.

Dean shrugged. 'Where's what?'

Annie slapped him again, harder this time. The smile did not fall from Lucifer's face but he did not reprimand the female demon either.

'My weapon, where is it? I heard you had her,' he said, plainly.

Dean rolled his eyes. He should have known this was about Molly.

'Dude, find your own weapon,' Dean said defiantly, twisting his wrists against the bonds that held him in place.

Lucifer chuckled. 'Your resistance is endearing,' he said condescendingly. 'Now tell me, where is it?'

Realisation dawned on him. Lucifer couldn't find Molly. Even with all his power, he couldn't locate her. Castiel must have worked his Enochian Sigil thing on her. Dean looked at the floor for a moment as he began to think.

The demon in the bar last night had been a lure for Lucifer to find them because he couldn't see past the sigils. If that was the case then that explained the appearance of the second demon at the bar. He wasn't just revealing to the demon talking to Molly that she was a siren; he was also telling him that Lucifer had been informed of their location. That was how he had found Dean.

Dean tried hard not to smile. For the first time since discovering Sam and Molly had disappeared, he was glad they had gone, even if they had taken his Impala. He wasn't going to forgive that in a hurry.

X X X

Molly felt herself practically skipping to the bar to order another drink for Sam and her. They had spent the past few hours eating a late lunch and simply talking. Conversation flowed so easily between the two of them, she had almost forgotten about why they had hit the road in the first place. She was enjoying the banter that passed between them as though they had known each other for years not days.

They had swapped stories about their crazy lives; he detailed the strangest hunts he had been on with Dean, whilst she had told him when she had first begun to discover that she was slightly out of the ordinary. She had never told anyone about those things before; she had never found anyone that could even remotely be trusted to understand.

Sam had then begun talking about his late girlfriend Jessica before he cut off suddenly and changed the subject to books. A debate had then ensued about how unrealistic he found The Twilight Saga whilst she insisted that it was about the romance not the mythology.

He had jokingly declared that he would need something stronger than a coke if he was going to have to sit and listen to much more of her opinions on the matter so she had abruptly stepped up to go and collect them a beer each. It was getting into early evening so she didn't think it was a bad time to start drinking.

Sam looked down dubiously at the beer Molly slammed down on the table in front of him.

'Oh come on, I still have plenty more Twilight analysis to bore you with,' she said, sliding back into her seat across from him in the booth.

He took the beer and looked up at her, meeting her eyes as he took a swig from the bottle before replacing it on the table top. So far, they were no closer to finding her father, mainly because they had spent the better part of the day consuming far from healthy food and telling each other their life stories.

'Molly?' he said at last, thinking it was about time he broached the subject.

'Yeah?' she looked up from where she had been tracing patterns in the condensation on her own bottle.

'Not that I'm complaining but we haven't exactly followed the mission plan for today,' Sam pointed out, noting she avoided making eye contact as he spoke. Almost as though she had known what he was about to say.

'I know,' she sighed. 'I guess I was having too much fun to be thinking about finding my father.'

Sam nodded. 'I figured as much. What are you afraid of?' he decided it was better to ask her outright than skirt around the issue.

She glanced at him almost disapprovingly before dropping her gaze back to her beer. She didn't reply straight away and Sam wondered if he maybe shouldn't have been so blunt.

'Part of me doesn't want to know,' she finally said, mumbling so quietly he almost didn't hear. Her head was hung so he couldn't see her face.

'You're worried about what you might find out?' he guessed before taking another gulp of his drink.

She nodded but didn't look up. Sam could understand, he knew first hand what it felt like to not know the whole truth about who you were and, if he was honest, part of him wished he had never found out about what Azazel had done all those years ago the night his mom was killed. He tried to think of the words to reassure her but she spoke before he had the chance.

'Mostly I'm scared that…'she stopped and Sam saw a drop of moisture land on the table top in front of her. He realised that it wasn't the condensation she was still running her finger through.

Without thinking, Sam scooted around the booth so that he sat beside her and wrapped his arm around her. She leaned into the embrace he offered, the top of her head resting beneath his chin. He felt the same surge of protectiveness pass through him as she sunk her face into his chest and he felt her tears moisten his shirt.

'What is it?' he said after letting her sob for a minute or two. 'What are you most scared of?'

Molly stopped crying almost immediately and pulled herself away from him, brushing the tears from her face and clearing her throat as though she were trying to deny that she had even had her moment of weakness.

'Come on tell me,' Sam insisted, sounding more frustrated than he had intended to.

She sighed again before she spoke 'My whole life I've known there was something not quite right about me, I tried to ignore it but I couldn't. Then you and your brother show up and suddenly I find out that my mother was this…this evil creature and that I'm a…hybrid…,' she paused as she shuddered at the word. '…that my father may be some kind of evil being as well. It scares me because it means that…'

She stopped again as some more tears fell messily from her eyes. She brushed them away again and took a deep breath. Sam could see that she was trying to be tough.

'What?' he prompted afraid that she had come this far but would still hold back.

'It means I'm not human at all, not even a little bit. If both my parents are evil, I must be evil too.'

X X X

'You can't find her yourself,' Dean stated, feeling the smirk crawling onto his face.

Lucifer's face flickered slightly; he appeared to be attempting not to show his annoyance at Dean's arrogance. That only served to amuse Dean further. He loved nothing more than getting one over on whatever evil son of a bitch he was hunting.

'Tell me where she is or –' Lucifer began.

'Or what?' Dean challenged. 'What can you possibly threaten me with? You can't kill Sam because you need him.'

The minute he spoke, he cursed his own arrogance. Lucifer wasn't a regular run of the mill demon, he could come up with something surely.

'Maybe not,' Lucifer smiled, looking almost wicked for the first time. 'But I can do plenty to you.'

Dean fought to not let his bravado slip. 'That supposed to scare me? I've already been to hell and back.'

'I can make you feel worse things,'

Dean wanted to laugh aloud but then reconsidered. He couldn't think of much worse than the time he had spent in hell but he didn't want to push his luck. He just needed to get out of there and find Sam and the girl.

Suddenly, as if on cue, the door to the room burst open and Castiel appeared, filling the doorway almost majestically. Blood poured from his arm and dribbled down the front of the door from the symbols he had drawn on the door. Without a word, he slammed his hand against the inscription.

There was a burst of blinding light and a screech of pain from Annie as the spell sent her body tumbling into the wall. Dean had closed his eyes as soon as he realised what Castiel was about to do. When he felt the angel releasing the ropes from around his ankles, he looked around the room. Lucifer was gone.

'Where did you send him?' Dean asked, amazed that Castiel had even been able to get the spell to work on the devil.

'Nowhere useful,' Castiel said, releasing the restraints around Dean's wrists. 'We'll be lucky if I even managed to displace him a couple of states over.'

'Dude, you get more bad-ass by the day,' Dean said, standing up and rubbing his wrists where the cords had cut in.

'Where are Sam and Molly?' Castiel asked.

'God knows,' Dean said.

'Well if we could just find him, then we could ask him,' Castiel said, irritably.

'I didn't mean it literally, it was a figure of speech,' Dean said. 'I think they may have gone after her father.'

For a split second, Castiel's face looked the most stunned that Dean had ever seen it.

'We have to go,' said the angel, his face become a picture of intense fury. 'We need to find them.'

'Obviously,' Dean said, rolling his eyes.

Suddenly, Castiel slammed him against the wall, his eyes blazing.

'I am not in the mood for your attitude Dean,' he said, his eyes boring into Dean's. 'Sam can not be alone with her.'

'Yeah, I get that,' Dean said, nervously, too stunned to attempt to shake himself out of Castiel's iron grip.

'I don't think you do,' Castiel said. 'She has more power than Lucifer to make Sam say yes.'

X X X

Sam nodded his thanks to the bar tender and picked up the two beer bottles that were to join the collection that seemed to be forming on the table he was sharing with Molly. After she had finally revealed her true fears, she had disappeared off to the ladies room, returning after fives minutes with a tear free face, all smiles again, insisting that they make the most of their freedom tonight and then head off to find her father in the morning.

Not really in the mood for more driving, Sam had agreed and they had continued on where they had left off, drinking and talking as the bar filled up with more people and a band had set up their gear in the corner. Several of the patrons were now dancing to the music and the atmosphere had livened up somewhat from the quiet of the afternoon.

The daylight outside the window had disappeared several hours before and he still had not had any furious calls from Dean demanding to know his whereabouts. Sam figured they had gotten lucky for now. Perhaps Dean and Castiel were already looking for them at Molly's father's house. The fact they had stopped off early was probably playing in their favour.

'Oh and this one time,' Sam said as he slid back into the booth beside her, picking up their conversation where it had left off. 'Dean thought it was really hilarious to spike my boxers with itching powder whilst I was in the shower.'

Molly giggled loudly, the five beers she had consumed clearly starting to have an effect on her. Sam threw an over exaggerated scowl at her. She smiled innocently at him.

'So what did you do in return?'

'I super glued his beer bottle to his hand,' Sam said, proudly.

Their joint laughter was muffled by the cheers of the customers enjoying the band's performance as they finished another song. Sam hadn't paid a lot of attention to the music; a lot of it was out of his genre preference. Dean would certainly have recognised a couple of the songs whilst the rest seemed to be soft rock that Sam vaguely remembered from the odd times that he listened to the radio when Dean wasn't around.

'We should go dance,' Molly announced, standing up and wobbling slightly.

Sam chuckled and remained in his seat. 'Uh no, I don't really dance that well.'

'Aw c'mon,' she begged.

'Long legs and a lack of rhythm do not mix,' Sam warned as she tugged on his hand, trying to get him to stand.

'Sam,' she whined, pulling on his arm again.

'Fine,' Sam slammed his beer on the table in defeat. 'But when I stand on your toes, don't say I didn't warn you!'

Molly grinned, mischievously and Sam caught himself thinking that this could be a bad idea. However the alcohol in him, and he had always been a lightweight according to Dean, made him ignore his own characteristic dependability.

She kept hold of his hand as he led her to what appeared to be the dance space and prepared himself for the start of the next song. Maybe if he pretended to be more intoxicated than he was, it would be less embarrassing. As the band began strumming out the first few notes, he realised it was going to be a slow one.

'I love this song!' Molly exclaimed as the band began their cover of 'When the World Comes Down.'

Sam, who still had hold of her hand, relaxed slightly. Slow dancing did not really involve much need for co-ordination. He rested his other hand on her hip and raised their already joined hands as she placed her hand on his shoulder and they started to sway.

He suddenly found that he was completely at a loss for what to say. Realising he didn't really need to say anything, he tried to concentrate on moving to the music and not the way Molly had leaned her head into his chest as they danced. He could hear her singing the lyrics to herself and hoped that she couldn't hear how hard his heart was thumping against his rib cage.

'You're wrong you know,' he said as the final chorus came in. He spoke just loud enough for her to hear as something occurred to him.

She lifted her head slightly to meet his eyes. She frowned.

'Wrong about what?'

'Whatever we find out about your dad, it won't make you unhuman,'

Her face dropped slightly at the mention of her father and she pulled back a little more. He released her hand and stroked her cheek.

'You seem human enough to me,' he said, looking directly into her eyes so that she would know he was serious.

He knew he shouldn't be saying things like this to her. That he should be keeping his distance like he had promised himself he would but now he found he couldn't hold back. Whether it was the day they had spent together or the amount of beer he had drunk he didn't know.

Taking a deep breath, he leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers. She didn't resist, instead wrapping her arms around his neck and returning the kiss. Sam ignored the drunken cheers from people around them as the band brought the song to a close.

'…you can sit beside me when the world comes down…'


	14. Chapter 13

**A/N - well, if you're back reading again, I didn't scare people off with the fluff in the last chapter, Yay! There is a little bit more in the start of this one and then that's it, I promise :) **

**Again, no idea if I have the mythology right but given that Molly is a mixed supernatural character, I figured I could make my own rules up. **

**Enjoy this one...**

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen.**

Molly sighed and leaned into Sam as he pressed a kiss behind her ear and she heard him inhale the scent of her hair. Everything had been a complete whirlwind from the moment he had kissed her in the bar. She had been so elated she barely remembered their hurried steps back to the room. They hadn't been so drunk they didn't know what they were doing but as she glanced at the clothes strewn in a haphazard path from the door to the bed she realised some kind of instinct had taken over any hope of thinking this through rationally.

'Are you alright?' she heard him whisper in her ear; perhaps he had sensed her trepidation.

She smiled. 'Yeah, I was just thinking.'

'That's always dangerous,' he chuckled. 'What's on your mind?'

'I was just wondering if you realise how much of a risk you've taken.'

She felt him tense behind her. 'What do you mean?'

'What I can do, I can't just turn it on and off. You'll be under my influence now,' she said, hoping he had already thought about this and that she wouldn't be scaring him away.

'Look at me,' he said, moving his arms from around her so that she could turn to lie on her back.

He propped himself up on his elbow and placed his free hand on her face.

'I think I've been under your influence from the moment I laid eyes on you,' he said, gently.

Normally she would have laughed at how ridiculously fluffy that sounded but the sincerity in his eyes made a lump form in her throat. He moved his face close to hers and kissed her again. She returned the kiss, wondering if it would ever cease to feel this good.

Sam reluctantly pulled away and rested his forehead against hers. He knew that the minute Dean found out about this he was in for it but he felt a sense of calm he had not felt in a long time. For a short time at least, it had felt like there was nothing else in the world to worry about. It was just the two of them.

Now that the sunlight was streaming in through the crack in the drapes, he knew that they had to get back to reality. He sighed and pressed a final kiss on the top of her head before moving back from her again.

'I hate to bring this up, but we – ' he started to say, feeling like the proverbial bubble they had built around themselves was deflating with every word he spoke.

'We need to go find my dad,' Molly finished for him with an understanding smile that made him want to kiss her again.

Sam nodded, still unable to take his eyes from her. She rolled her eyes and smiled mockingly at him.

'Well we're not going to get anywhere with you making gooey eyes at me,' she said, slapping his shoulder playfully.

'Oh God, you sound just like Dean,' Sam complained.

'You make gooey eyes at your brother often?' Molly asked, laughing and climbing out of the bed, retrieving the clothes from the floor.

Sam chuckled softly but didn't move, trying to prolong the feeling of contentment as long as possible. She didn't seem to be aware that he was watching her as she busied herself with picking up their clothes. It wasn't until she picked up the last item and turned back towards him that she realised.

'You getting up sometime this side of Christmas?' she asked, sardonically.

Sam shrugged. 'I'll think about it.'

'Well, think harder, we got stuff to do,' she ordered, throwing his jeans at him so hard he nearly rolled off the edge of the bed.

X X X

'So that's Lucifer's plan?' Dean said, loudly, unable to contain the feeling of panic that was starting to fill his stomach. Panic perhaps wasn't the best word but he wasn't exactly relaxed either.

Castiel rolled his eyes. 'How have you not considered this before Dean? The girl was mothered by a siren.'

Dean continued ramming his belongings into his bag. Sam appeared to have only taken his wallet, which both annoyed and worried Dean. Not only did he need to clear his stupid kid brother's stuff up too but there was the possibility that Sam was already under Molly's spell and hadn't been able to return for his things. Then again, there were always spare clothes in the Impala.

'When I get my hands on him…,' Dean muttered to himself as the anger of having his prized car stolen from him returned.

'Are you even listening to me Dean?' Castiel said, irritably.

'Yeah, I hear ya. I don't know why I didn't think about it, alright. I was a little preoccupied with the knowledge that she was a siren. I didn't think about the bigger picture.' Dean retorted.

He was sure he heard Castiel mutter something disapprovingly that sounded suspiciously like 'Humans!' Dean chose to ignore the criticism of his species and focus on the issue at hand.

'How do we find them?' he asked. 'I see you did your angel cloaking device thing on Molly. When did you do that by the way?'

Castiel shrugged. 'Whilst she was sleeping.'

'So what now?' Dean asked again, starting on the task of packing away Sam's clothes, cursing under his breath. If it wasn't for the ingrained need to cover their tracks at every turn, Dean would have left his brothers things behind out of sheer resentment.

'My guess is she is going to find her father, we start there,' Castiel said, heading for the door.

Dean pulled the zipper on Sam's bag and threw it at Castiel's back. The angel turned and eyed him with annoyance.

'At least help me,' Dean said, bossily, swinging his own bag over his shoulder and marching out of the door, stopping only to pat Castiel sarcastically on the shoulder.

X X X

Sam pulled the car in to park across the street from the house they planned to visit. The small semi looked out of place on a street where most of the houses were boarded up or poorly maintained. Where most of the houses had front yards with no lawns, only junk that had built up, the house they wanted had a lawn covered in blooms of various shapes, sizes and colours surrounded by a white picket fence. It was in complete contrast to the chain link fences. Sam raised an eyebrow knowingly – the whole thing screamed of the supernatural. His interested was spiked and he found himself intensely curious about finding out who lived there.

'So, here we are,' he said at last, turning to face Molly who had been sitting silently for the last twenty minutes of the drive and now was simply staring out of the windscreen at the house.

She turned her head slowly, her faced had paled significantly and he could see she was terrified. He reached across and took her hand.

'It's going to be fine,' he said, squeezing her fingers reassuringly.

'Nice try,' she mumbled before painting on the confident face that Sam had quickly recognised as a front she used whenever she was petrified.

Releasing his hand, she pushed open the passenger door and climbed out so fast that Sam fumbled with the keys as he took them out of the ignition and hastily tried to catch up with her. She was already halfway across the street when he reached her and took hold of her elbow, turning her to look at him.

'Don't Sam, I need to get this over with,' she said, before he had chance to speak.

'I know,' he said, gently. 'I just don't want you rushing in there unprotected.'

'Ooh, my hero!' she said, sarcastically, allowing him to fall in step beside her.

He ignored her cynicism and opened the gate for her, noting how the flowers in the yard gave off strong, sweet smelling scents, almost like candy.

Molly stepped up to the front door of the house as Sam stood admiring the garden and raised her fist to knock on the door. Her hand had barely made contact with the wood when it flew open to reveal a relatively ordinary looking middle-aged man. He smiled knowingly at Molly as Sam took a protective step forward.

'I was wondering when you'd show up,' the man said.

X X X

Dean rubbed his stomach as he and Castiel materialised on a street he had never seen before. With all this angel travel he wondered if he would ever need to seat himself on the 'throne' again.

'Oh get over it and buy some ex-lax,' he heard Castiel snap impatiently.

Dean scowled at him but didn't respond. He didn't have time to bicker with the angel who seemed to be growing increasing irritated by Dean's lack of movement. From the corner of his eye, Dean caught a familiar shape.

'Baby!' he exclaimed, turning to his left and heading towards the Impala.

He rushed over to the car and immediately began checking for dents or scratches. Satisfied that it seemed unscathed, he fished his keys out of pocket and opened the trunk. Shoving aside the backpacks that held their spare clothing, he lifted up the panel to access the weapons cache.

'So what do I need? What is this thing we're about to meet?' Dean asked, lifting his head to see above the raised trunk lid so he could see Castiel.

'I don't know,' Castiel said.

Dean grabbed some additional bullets for his handgun, a knife and a full bottle of holy water hoping that they would have to do for now. He liked to be prepared for everything but he didn't know how much time they had.

X X X

Sam walked behind Molly as she followed her father down a short corridor and into what appeared to be a fairly modest living room. All the hunter instincts in him were bashing against his common sense – they should not have entered the house so easily, they should have checked out the exits before knocking on the front door, he should have checked the number of bullets left in the gun concealed in the inside pocket of his jacket.

'Please, have seat,' the man was cheerful, excited almost.

'Who are you?' Molly said, bluntly, not taking a seat.

'Of course, sorry, my name's Nigel,' he said, extending his hand towards her.

Molly eyed it cautiously and Sam wondered what was going through her mind. To his surprise she sat in the seat Nigel had offered although her body language suggested she was anything but comfortable. A quick pleading look in Sam's direction prompted him to sit beside her.

'I'm sorry,' Nigel said. 'I don't even know your name.'

'You were expecting me but you don't know who I am?' Molly asked in a tone that Sam couldn't decipher. He wasn't sure if she was sceptical or slightly outraged.

'I knew this day would come eventually.' Nigel said, taking a seat in an armchair across from them. 'But I never saw you; I never knew your name.'

Sam wasn't sure if he was imagining it or not but the man looked genuinely regretful, like a father who had missed out his daughter's life. He glanced at Molly, she seemed to be making the same observation he was and she appeared to relax slightly.

'It's Molly,' she said before glancing quickly at Sam. 'And this is Sam.'

'Hi,' Sam said awkwardly.

'Can I get you kids anything? A drink perhaps?' Nigel asked.

Molly was about to decline when Nigel snapped his fingers and the empty coffee table between them filled with various cans of soft drink. She could feel her eyes widening, despite knowing the things she had done recently.

'Take your pick,' Nigel said, a slight smirk on his face. He had clearly noted her reaction. 'We have a lot to talk about, could be thirsty work.'

Molly cleared her throat and said nothing. She didn't know what she was supposed to say. She had imagined she would have a multitude of questions when she met him but now it seemed as though her mind had gone blank.

Beside her she saw Sam flinch and straighten up in his seat. She tilted her head to catch his eye but his focus was on Nigel, the slight tension in his jaw suggesting he was on alert. Molly's heart skipped a beat for several reasons. Firstly, Sam looked incredibly hot in that instance although she knew it was not an appropriate time to be thinking like that; secondly she was afraid of what Nigel was and what it meant for her and thirdly, she was afraid Sam might jump up and waste him before she had chance to find out.

'It's alright, Sam,' she said, placing her hand on his knee.

She noticed how he visibly relaxed and his gaze fell on her. The slightly accusatory look in his eye brought her to the realisation that she had inadvertently controlled him for a brief second.

'Oh God, I'm sorry,' she said, suddenly forgetting about Nigel and the reason for their visit. 'I didn't mean to…'

Sam shrugged. 'It's not your fault.'

A loud exhale of incredulity from Nigel brought their attention back to the task at hand. He had a slight look of astonishment on his face.

'What?' Sam and Molly happened to ask at the same time.

'You two are actually a couple?' Nigel asked, his eyes widening further.

Molly looked up at Sam wondering what her response to that question should be. One night together hardly obligated him to anything but if he felt anywhere near as strongly about her as she did him then her first answer would have been to the affirmative. The corner of Sam's mouth twitched as though he had some intuition about what she was thinking.

'Uh, it's a little complicated,' Sam said.

'I'll bet!' Nigel exclaimed with a laugh. 'Boy oh boy, dating a siren, you really must be a glutton for punishment.'

'Half-siren,' Sam corrected almost immediately.

'Yeah, which brings me to my first question,' Molly said, sitting up straighter as though attempting to make herself feel more confident and better equipped to have this conversation. She knew that if she pulled that façade off then she was worthy of an Emmy. 'What the hell are you?'

Nigel chuckled at the tone in her voice and picked up a can of Coke, cracking the ring pull so that the initial hiss of air lasted longer than was necessary. It pierced the silence in the room as its occupants waited for an answer.

'I know what he is,' Sam said as Nigel took a loud slurp from the can.

'I'm a trickster,' Nigel said, quickly interrupting Sam as though he wanted to tell the story himself.

Molly raised an eyebrow sceptically. 'Ok, so that sounds completely made up!'

'Oh, it's a real thing, trust me,' said Sam, sounding somewhat irked.

Nigel nodding knowingly. 'You've met a trickster before?'

Sam didn't reply. Molly glanced at him briefly, noting his petulant expression before turning back to Nigel.

'I've never heard of one – care to enlighten me?'

'They're a kind of demi-god,' Sam said, before Nigel had a chance to open his mouth. 'Hence their ability to create illusions or pull Coke cans outta their asses!'

'Hey!' Nigel protested, indicating the can in his hand. 'This aint been anywhere near my ass thank you very much! Do you think I could continue the conversation?'

Sam lifted a hand as if to say 'be my guest' and then sank back into his seat, folding his arms across his chest. Molly ignored him, deciding it was better to concentrate on listening to Nigel than considering that Sam was somewhat adorable when he was sulking.

'So you can pretty much conjure up anything you want?' she asked, starting to understand where her own abilities had come from.

Nigel nodded and shrugged a shoulder at the same time. 'If I concentrate hard enough and visualise it then yes. I've gotten better at it over time. My mother was human so it took me a little longer than normal to train myself to use them wisely.'

Sam unfolded his arms and sat up straight when he heard the word human. He looked to Molly to see if there was any reaction in her, she had been so concerned about her humanity. Her eyes were fixed on her father so Sam could not judge accurately how she was feeling.

'So you just picture something you want and it appears?' She was asking.

Nigel nodded and took another swig of his Coke. 'Yeah, pretty much. I don't use it to cause chaos like your boyfriend here suggested, but it has come in handy now and again whenever I've found myself in a sticky spot although until I met your mother I naively thought that nothing could trick a trickster.' He smiled as though remembering a funny memory.

'And then you got her pregnant?' Sam interjected.

'Sam!' Molly scolded.

'Its OK,' Nigel said, chuckling again. 'It's not like we were in love or anything. I only knew you existed because I caught sight of her a few months later, looking suspiciously rotund. Turns out a siren can't change form when they're in that condition.'

'A siren can change form?' Molly exclaimed. 'I've never done that!'

Sam shot her a glance. Was it him or was she suddenly becoming a lot more relaxed about her newly discovered heritage? His concern only lasted a moment as he considered that finding out who she was and that she was at least a fraction human had probably put her mind at ease.

Nigel shook his head. 'I doubt it; you're only half your mother's child. If you haven't done it by now, you're probably not going to.'

Molly nodded and Sam could have sworn she looked mildly disappointed.

'Besides,' Nigel said, his tone suddenly changing to sound slightly ominous, his cheery disposition suddenly masked by a sense of warning. 'You need to be careful how you use your abilities.'

Molly's face dropped as Nigel's tone clearly took her by surprise. Sam put his hand reassuringly on her back and looked at Nigel questioningly. Nigel sighed and leaned down to the side of the couch, withdrawing a newspaper from the magazine rack on the floor. He dropped it onto the coffee table and Sam recognised the article immediately.

BETRAYED HUSBAND GOES BESERK

It was the reason Dean and he had found themselves in Molly's town in the first place. They had seen the article and picked it up as a hunt, the diner had simply been a stop off to evaluate their findings so far. The husband in the case had come home from a drinking session, caught his wife being unfaithful and subsequently killed both her and her lover before he himself was gunned down by the police. Dean and Sam had suspected some kind of demonic possession at the time.

He could feel Molly trembling beneath his hand. She reached forward and picked up the newspaper. Sam waited anxiously as her eyes scanned the picture of the husband in question and the first few lines of the article.

'I can't let anything come between us,' she read aloud before gasping and dropping the article back onto the table and getting to her feet. 'This was my fault!'

Sam stood up and took hold of her elbow. 'What do you mean?'

'I met this guy, he looked so down on his luck I figured I'd use my ability to help him out. I told him to make a go of it with his wife. I said if he loved her he wouldn't let anything come between them.' Tears streamed down Molly's face. 'That wasn't what I meant! I was trying to help him.'

'Molly,' Nigel said, sounding genuinely concerned. 'It wasn't your fault. You are dealing with powers you have next to no knowledge of, mistakes are bound to happen.'

Molly stared dumbfounded at Nigel. Sam could see that she didn't think 'mistakes happen' was a good enough justification.

'When I was a teenager, I made a similar mistake. I told this dumb jock of a bully to go to hell and he disappeared right in front of my eyes. To this day I still don't know where he went.' Nigel said, sheepishly. 'You can't control everything.'

Molly was shaking her head almost frantically now.

'I can't be here,' she whispered. 'I can't listen to this.'

With that she pulled out of the grip of Sam's arm which he had wrapped around her shoulders when she first became distressed, and ran out of the room. Sam glanced at Nigel briefly as if to say 'thanks for nothing' and followed her out of the room.

He reached the front door just as she stepped out of view and into the yard.

'Molly, just wait up a minute,' he called as he quickened his pace and stepped through the door.

The next thing he knew, a powerful force hit him in the face, pain exploding through his nose and across his cheekbones as though he had been hit with a concrete cricket bat. As his legs went from beneath him he heard someone call his name. The voice was deep and lethargic reminding him of when he was a child and the batteries began to run down on his cassette walkman.

Then everything went black.

* * *

**A/N - Like I said, I've had to bend the rules a little to fit my own means whether a trickster and a siren can reproduce is beyond me but it seemed like a workable idea at the time. Hope u liked this :)**


	15. Chapter 14

**A/N - the story is getting close to the end now. thank you for reading far enough to be on chapter 14. For once, I have little to say about the following chapter. Just enjoy... :) **

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen. **

Molly opened her eyes suddenly, her heart racing. Where was she? Last thing she remembered was going to meet her father. She felt an arm wrap around her waist from behind her and someone kissed her on the back of the neck. The familiar scent that came from the person behind her calmed her thumping heart.

Sam.

Perhaps she had dreamt meeting Nigel. The number of beers Sam and she had drunk in the bar must have confused her and meeting her father had certainly been on her mind. She felt Sam tighten his grip around her and bury his face in her hair.

Molly turned around in Sam's arms and snuggled in closer to him. He smiled affectionately at her and she felt her heart begin to pound again – for a different reason this time.

'Hey,' Sam said, with the gentle coyness of someone waking up with a new partner for the first time. 'Are you alright?'

Molly nodded, a feeling of déjà vu nestling uncomfortably in her stomach. Her dream had ended unpleasantly. She vividly remembered a set of ebony demon eyes staring wickedly at her. It made sense. Demons were the thing of nightmares after all.

Another image returned to her. Sam had been attacked and collapsed onto the floor, blood streaming from his face. She had tried to scream out his name but her voice had made no sound.

It had definitely been a dream. That was the kind of thing that happened in a dream. Everything became surreal and confusing.

'Sweetie, what's wrong?' Sam asked with the gentle smile still on his face.

The fear she felt at the thought of Sam being hurt consumed her. Molly quickly took his face in her hands and kissed him passionately. A moment later he pulled away, a look of surprise on his face.

'I love you,' Molly whispered, not caring that she might scare him away with the declaration. She was confident he felt the same.

To her horror, his smile widened and something strange happened to his face. At first she thought that he was melting away but she soon realised his face was changing. Within seconds, it was no longer Sam that lay before her but a man, older than Sam, with a five o'clock shadow and some kind of skin condition. His face was blistered and peeling.

Molly screamed and jumped out of the bed.

X X X

Sam groaned as he discovered that opening his eyes sent a throbbing pain over the whole of his face. He was no stranger to pain but he had learned the hard way that any kind of blow that rendered him unconscious was going to be pretty unbearable. Blinking hard against the pain, he sat up abruptly as his memory returned to him.

'Molly!' he cried out loud.

'Sam?'

He heard Dean before he saw him. His brother dashed to his side from somewhere in the room, taking hold of each side of his face, probably inspecting the damage. After a bewildered moment where panic took over as he worried about what had happened to Molly, Sam jerked his head away from Dean's grip. Sudden movements were painful but the fearful pain in his chest was more discomforting.

'Where's Molly?' Sam said, looking firmly at Dean.

Dean's eyes flickered sideways. Sam knew this was a mannerism of Dean's when he didn't want to share information. Sam grabbed the front of Dean's shirt just below the collar.

'Where is she?' he demanded, his voice almost a growl as the panic began to set in further.

Dean sighed regretfully. 'Demons took her, Sam. I'm sorry.'

'We have to find her!' Sam shouted.

He released Dean's shirt, swung his legs around the side of the bed and stood up all in one swift movement. The dizziness that swam around his head caused him to stumble to one side and he felt Dean catch him before he really fell.

'We will, Sammy but you need to rest right now. They hit you pretty hard.' Dean said his voice uncharacteristically patient.

'I need to find her,' Sam said, noticing how vacant his own voice sounded. 'I should have protected her.'

'Just sit back down for a minute and let's wait for Cas to get back, he was tracking the demons that took her. He'll be back before you know it.'

Sam nodded weakly and looked at his brother, grateful that he hadn't presented any argument that Molly was with her own kind now or something like that. He felt his head swim again – they really _must_ have hit him hard – and his legs buckled.

Dean caught Sam's weight and coaxed him back into a sitting position on edge of the bed. The sight of his little brothers face covered in a rapidly forming purple bruise made him cringe. When he got his hands on those demons… If only Cas and he had gone into the house straight away. Instead they had decided to wait for Sam and Molly to come out, figuring that they wouldn't get much information from her father if they went barging in halfway through their meeting.

Dean was regretting it now. He had been resting on the side of the Impala after establishing that no damage had been done to the beauty when he saw the front door of the house come flying open. Molly had come running out, straight into the path of what looked like a group of teenagers walking by. Dean had soon realised they were not what they seemed when two of them grabbed Molly whilst the third ran up to the house and struck Sammy in the face with a sizeable plank of wood as he followed Molly.

Dean sighed and patted his brother on the shoulder in an attempt to reassure him. As much as Dean was aware that Molly possessed supernatural genes, he couldn't ignore the look in his younger brother's eyes. He hadn't seen that level of fear for another person's life since Dean had pulled him from the room where Jessica was pinned to the ceiling, burning alive. Sam had some serious feelings for Molly, Dean wondered if his brother even knew himself how strong those feelings were. Dean just hoped that they were real and not a result of Molly's abilities.

'It'll be alright Sammy, we'll get her back,' Dean said, perching himself opposite his brother on the edge of the other bed.

Sam who had been looking down at the floor, probably beating himself up for Molly getting taken, lifted his head and looked at Dean. His eyes were wet but he wasn't crying. The corner of his mouth twitched into an appreciative smile.

'Thanks Dean,' he said, a small piece of hope returning to his expression. 'You know, Molly's not evil. She has a seriously weird combination of genes but she's not evil.'

'I hope you're right,' Dean said, without thinking.

Sam pulled his exasperated face. 'Dean c'mon, give her a chance. Has she done anything untoward the whole time she's been with us?'

'I don't know,' Dean said, slightly sarcastically. 'You both disappeared for thirty six hours. What happened then?'

'Fair enough,' Sam rolled his eyes. 'I'm sorry I just took off like that but Molly was about to leave to find her father on her own. I couldn't just let her go.'

'Why not?' Dean said. 'We would have caught up to her eventually.'

'Because…' Sam seemed to struggle over the words. 'Because I was afraid she'd get hurt alright? I wanted to protect her.'

Sam did his trademark avoiding eye contact thing. Dean raised an eyebrow; his suspicions about the strength of Sammy's feelings were clearly not unfounded.

'Where were you yesterday?' Dean asked, flatly.

He noticed how Sam's eyes widened slightly and he glanced up at Dean before looking away again.

'Driving mostly' Sam said, in an 'obviously' tone of voice.

'Dude, you went to see her father today, you weren't driving the whole time. Where were you?' Dean asked again.

He didn't need to hear the answer from Sam, he saw the look on his face and he knew straight away. Dean had tried hard to be patient and even understanding whilst he talked to Sam about Molly but as realisation hit him, his characteristic big brother protectiveness got to work.

'You slept with her!' Dean practically shouted. 'Christ, Sammy, are you insane?'

'Dean – 'Sam started to protest but stopped when Dean stood up and strode over to the other side of the room and began pacing up and down.

'She's a siren Sammy; she's going to be able to manipulate you for the rest of her life!' Dean shouted, trying to ignore how the forlorn look on Sam's face made him feel guilty for tearing his little brother a new one.

'But she hasn't even tried, Dean!' Sam shouted back.

'Yeah right and seducing you into bed isn't trying?' Dean snapped.

'It wasn't like that!' Sam stood up, wobbling slightly.

'She's a siren Sam,' Dean shouted each word very slowly as though Sam were a complete idiot. At that moment in time, that's what Dean thought he was. 'All they do is seduce and manipulate people.'

'Don't talk about her like that Dean!' Sam practically roared the words at him.

The room fell silent for a moment as Dean looked at his younger brother. His face was contorted into a mixed expression of anger, pain and fear. He hated to see Sam like this. It scared him.

X X X

'Who the hell are you?' Molly squealed, shrinking herself as tightly as she could into the corner of the room.

The man in the bed smiled as though he was trying to reassure her. He climbed out of the bed and stretched like he had just woken from a long slumber. The room changed as he did so. It was no longer the motel room Sam and she had woken in this morning, it was now a dark, empty room with one door on the far side with a small window in it that revealed someone was standing guard outside. It felt like a prison cell in here.

'Are you a trickster?' she asked without really meaning to.

The man chuckled softly and walked towards her. She tried to shrink back further but there was no room to.

'No, my child, I'm so much more interesting than that,' he said, smiling as though he really were smiling at his own child.

Molly was sure it was a façade to trick her into feeling at ease with him. All she could see was that he was incredibly creepy and she wanted to scratch his eyes out for what the demons had done to Sam. Her stomach convulsed as she thought of him. She hoped he was alright, feared she would not see him again.

'What do you want?' she snapped, the anger she felt coming into play.

'Why you of course,' he said, stepping forward and placing his hand gently on her face. 'I've been looking for you for a while, Molly. I need your help.'

Molly felt like she was literally going to throw up. It was the thing that Sam and Dean (in his own little way) had been trying to protect her from. The reason her life had been turned upside down, why her workplace was now burned to the ground (although technically that was Sam's fault).

'You're…you're Lucifer,' she stuttered, feeling her legs buckle slightly with fear. She fought hard to keep a hold on her composure and to her surprise was successful.

'Ah, you've heard of me,' he said, placing a hand on his chest dramatically and feigning modesty.

'What do you want with me?' Molly demanded, although she actually didn't want to know. She just wanted to be back with Sam. She wondered if she concentrated hard enough if she could make it happen. Was that how her trickster powers worked?

'That won't work, honey,' Lucifer said, startling her. 'You're only part trickster; your powers are not strong enough to get Sam here, which is a shame really.'

'What do you mean?' Molly said her voice so quiet she barely heard herself speak. The fact he had known what she was thinking terrified her.

'Oh,' Lucifer said, knowingly. 'So Sammy hasn't been completely honest with you I see?'

Molly frowned as Lucifer stepped back, laughing to himself. A chair suddenly appeared in front of her. He gestured towards it with his hand.

'Have a seat; I've got a lot to tell you.'

X X X

Sam could feel his heart pumping in his chest. Dean made him so angry sometimes but right now he was more frustrated with his brother's inability to see the shades of grey in this situation. He took a few deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down. Dean had been quiet for a few minutes which meant that Sam was losing it a little and Dean was actually unsure of what to say for once.

He sunk back to down to sit on the edge of the bed and dropped his head into his hands. Getting angry at Dean was not going to help get Molly back. If he could just get to where she was and rescue her then they could all sit down and explain the situation. How could he tell Dean what he felt now? He hadn't had a chance to tell Molly yet although that was going to be the first thing he did the next time he saw her.

'Ok,' he heard Dean say. 'I get it, it's been a long day. Hell, its been a long week. Let's just wait for Cas to get back and then we can go get her alright?'

The change in Dean's voice surprised him. He looked up at his older brother and realised that Dean probably already know how he felt. He watched as Dean headed to the refrigerator and pulled a beer out. It amazed Sam that Dean had already stocked up on the stuff. How long had he been unconscious? A quick glance out of the window told him it was probably quite a while – the sun was starting to set.

'Thank you,' Sam said, quietly, glad of Dean's renewed patience.

'Whatever,' Dean said petulantly, twisting the cap from the bottle.

If Sam had not been feeling such despair right then he probably would have laughed at his brother. Dean raised the bottle to take a gulp when Castiel suddenly appeared beside him. Dean jumped three inches, spilling the beer on his shirt. Sam jumped up from his sitting position.

Castiel turned and looked directly at him.

'I found her.'

* * *

**A/N - and the cheesiest cliffhanger award goes to...(I can't help it I'm a cliffhanger addict)**


	16. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen. **

Molly couldn't believe the words she was hearing from Lucifer's blistered lips. The deformity of his depleting face only served to make it more horrific. Sam hadn't been honest with her. She thought he had shared everything with her the day they had sat alone in the motel debating who the bigger freak was. He had told her about Lilith, about the seals, Ruby and his demon blood addiction. He was responsible for Lucifer being here, she knew that but he had left out one vital piece of information.

'A vessel?' Molly repeated, noticing how a look crossed Lucifer's face that she could only describe as arrogant triumph.

'Yes, _my_ vessel,' he repeated. 'Only, he's a little reluctant to let me in.'

'Can you blame him?' Molly shouted, thinking of there being nothing worse than having Lucifer inhabit your body for all eternity.

Lucifer shrugged. 'Eternal life, immeasurable power. What's so wrong with that?'

Molly gaped at him unable to comprehend how someone could be so evil that they knew nothing of morality. Lucifer tilted his head to one side and regarded her in a way that made her somewhat uncomfortable.

'And this is where you come in,' he said, slowly. 'My…secret…weapon.'

He punctuated each word with a step towards her. Molly raised her chin defensively fearing what was coming next. She didn't understand what she had to do with this. Why did Lucifer need her? He was clearly powerful enough by himself.

Lucifer chuckled as though he had read her expression.

'You, Molly, are the one person who can get Sam to say yes. I believe you have already worked your,' he paused suggestively. '…magic on him.'

Molly pulled a face, disturbed by how sordid he made it sound, and then his plan fell into place in her mind. He wanted her to convince, no order, Sam to say yes to being this monsters vessel. Molly could think of nothing worse.

'No,' she said, firmly no longer terrified of what might happen to her. Protecting Sam was the priority. 'No way.'

'Hmm,' Lucifer sighed, sounding almost disappointed. 'I guess you will need some persuasion too.'

'There's nothing you can do,' Molly said bitterly. 'You can't hurt me by hurting Sam. You need him too much.'

Lucifer's eyebrows raised which made her think she had been too arrogant in her words. He was the devil; he would have more than one plan up his sleeve.

'I could hurt you,' he said, almost as though it were a practical solution to a problem between two friends.

Molly felt her blood run cold as he began pacing up and down the room, the tapping of his feet when they touched the concrete floor matching the skipped beats of her heart. After an agonising minute or two he paused and turned back to face her.

'But no…I need you just as much as I need Sam,' he said, thoughtfully. 'Dean however I have no use for. How do you think Sam would feel knowing you could have prevented his brother from being caught up in this? Do you think he'll thank you…love you back?'

Lucifer smiled at her, the calm controlled arrogance returning with the mocking tone in the last three words he spoke. She gulped as she considered the things he was saying. Dean was all the family Sam had in the world, he had already lost him once and it had sent him down a path of mistakes that she could see, despite knowing him a short time, he would never forgive himself for.

She dropped her eyes to the floor, unable to bear looking at Lucifer much longer. There had to be some way to solve this without Sam getting hurt, without Dean being sacrificed.

Lucifer was suddenly at her side, whispering darkly into her ear.

'I'm going to enjoy watching the skin peel from Dean's bones, listening to his screams. There are a lot of fates worse than death.'

Molly felt the tears welling up in her eyes as she considered his words. As much as she had fought with Dean the whole time she had known him, deep down she loved his devil-may-care attitude, no pun intended. He was a good man with honourable intentions who would do anything for his younger brother. Sam meant as much to Dean as he did to her and there was no way she was going to let anything happen to either Winchester.

She turned her face to look at Lucifer, his face barely an inch away from hers and spoke words she hoped she wouldn't live to regret.

'Tell me what you want me to do.'

X X X

Dean had to jog to catch up with Sam. When he reached him he grabbed the sleeve of his jacket and pulled him to a stop.

'Sammy, wait up, we can't go in there without a battle plan,' he said, nodding his head towards the side of the warehouse.

Sam didn't answer, just looked at him, and trotted alongside him to where he had indicated. They stood with their backs against the wall of the building, making themselves as flat and inconspicuous as possible which wasn't easy for either of them with their heights or Castiel with his trench coat flapping in the breeze.

'She's inside,' Castiel said, emotionlessly. 'There's a demon by the front entrance, two more inside guarding her.'

'Is Lucifer in there too?' Dean asked as Sam, at the front of their little line, peered around the corner of the building apparently looking for the demon on door duty.

'I believe so,' Castiel said, sounding somewhat gloomy. 'We should split up, take an entrance each.'

Dean turned around to face Castiel with incredulity. The angel looked firmly back at him.

'Are you serious? Leave Sam alone when the devil's in there?' Dean snapped.

'We can regroup inside,' Castiel said glaringly as though he had already decided and it was not up to Dean. 'We won't be on our own long. If we each take out a demon, it improves our chance of success.'

'What do you think Sammy?' Dean asked, turning around again.

Sam was gone.

'Shit!' Dean cursed aloud, wishing his younger brother didn't have to be so foolhardy. It was always heart over head with that boy.

He broke into a run, following the sound of a demon screeching in pain. He reached the main entrance in time to see Sam disappearing inside, a demon lying at an awkward angle on the floor. Ruby's knife was a weapon they had acquired and had made much use for over the past couple of years. Sam had clearly used it to do a number on the demon door monitor at any rate.

Dean glanced behind him at Castiel who seemed resigned to the fact his divide and conquer strategy was no longer going to work. The two of them ran to the door, Dean reaching it first and yanking it open.

'Sam!' he called after his brother as he saw him entering what must have been an office at some point.

Pounding the concrete floor with his feet, he reached the small room just as the door swung shut in his face. He tried the handle but the door was stuck fast. Experience told him it was not just a lock preventing him from opening the door. He spun around, trying to catch sight of Lucifer. The son of a bitch had to be here somewhere.

Castiel was busy surveying the bodies of the other two demons. Sam had evidently wasted no time in wasting them! Dean wondered briefly when his brother had become so bad-ass.

He turned back to look through the window in the door to the office. Molly was inside, her arms wrapped tightly around Sam. Dean rolled his eyes.

'Come on you two, no time for the mushy stuff we need to get out of here,' he muttered to himself.

He watched as Molly stared hard at Sam and spoke, although he couldn't hear the words. An uneasy feeling crept over him as he realised she could be doing what Lucifer wanted her to do. He rattled the door handle again and struck the door with his fist, trying desperately to get Sam's attention.

Sam didn't take his eyes from Molly. Instead he handed her Ruby's knife, his movements rigid as though he had little or no control over them. Dean inhaled sharply as he watched her press the blade firmly against Sam's neck.

'Sammy!'

Dean raised his foot and began desperately kicking at the door.

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**A/N - to post or not to post...that is the question. Ah the hell with it. I've dragged this on long enough LOL. Next chapter is the last before the epilogue...**


	17. Chapter 16

**A/N - This is it, I've pretty much come to the end. Would like to say a big thanks to everyone for making it this far. Its always good to know a story is worth reading past one chapter, gives my writing a real confidence boost. I hope you like the ending, it is a bit angsty but I love a bit of angst as I've said before. I do have the makings of a follow up in mind but that will all depend on how motivated I am. **

**Thanks again, you all rock!**

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen.**

'I'm so sorry about this Sam,' Molly said, her hand quivering as she held the knife against him. 'There's just no other way to stop this.'

Sam didn't try to fight her off. He was hoping that if he stood still she might reconsider doing this. As shocked as he was that she held a knife to his throat, he wasn't angry. That could have been her influence, he wasn't sure. Handing the knife over in the first place was definitely her although, not being aware of her intentions, he probably would have given it to her anyway.

'I'm sorry,' she said again, a tear falling down her cheek.

She moved the knife suddenly and drew a swift swipe across his shoulder, coating the blade with his blood. In the next instance she had turned the knife on herself and plunged it deep into her gut.

'Molly, no!' his throat burned as he cried out.

Molly slowly pulled the knife out and dropped it onto the floor. She placed her hands on her stomach and looked at him. Her mouth twitched as though she were trying to smile reassuringly at him. Then her legs gave way and she began to fall.

Sam rushed forwards and caught her in his arms before she hit the floor. He knelt down, resting her in his lap, trying to not look at the blood that poured from her wound. Her face had paled already and he knew that she had just minutes left yet he still pleaded with her to hold on.

'What did you do that for?' he whispered softly, placing his hand on her cheek and feeling his eyes filling with tears.

'Lucifer wanted me to get you to say yes,' she said, hoarsely gasping in pain between words. 'I can't let that happen.'

'You didn't need to do this.' Sam muttered quietly, stroking her cheek with his thumb.

'It was the only way,' Molly whispered, her face wet with the tears that streamed from her face. 'I couldn't let him hurt you.'

'But he won't hurt me,' Sam said, desperately. 'He needs me.'

'I know, but he doesn't need Dean,' Molly replied, wincing again as more blood pumped out, soaking her clothes further. 'He was going to hurt Dean if I didn't agree and I couldn't let you say yes. Either way, we were screwed.'

She gave a sort of half-chuckle at her own words. Sam felt her limbs starting to go weak in his arms. He pulled her closer to him, feeling his own tears falling.

'No, no, no, stay here,' he said. 'We can get you to a hospital, you'll be alright.'

'Or you can let me heal her,' a voice interrupted them.

Sam glanced up, instinctively pulling Molly closer to him when he saw Lucifer standing before them. Her ragged breaths were close to his ear as he held her; he could feel her blood soaking his own clothes.

'Just a click of my fingers and I can save your lady love,' Lucifer said, the smile on his broadening.

Sam glowered at him, feeling his anger boiling inside him.

'All you have to do is say yes and she's alive and well.'

Sam felt Molly's hand tighten feebly on the collar of his jacket.

'No, no, no, don't you dare,' she hissed as best as she could, her voice weaker than it had been moments before.

He didn't have long to decide. Sam looked at her seeing the pain she was in, the tears streaking her face, the blood pool forming between them. She couldn't die, not for him.

'I can't let you die,' he whispered against her cheek before pressing a kiss upon her skin.

'No Sam, please,' she looked hard into his eyes. She was trying to control him but it wasn't working. She was too close to going. Merging his blood with hers through the knife had severed her influence.

Lucifer was suddenly at his other side, whispering into his ear like the proverbial devil on his shoulder.

'Come on, Sam, say yes and she's yours. No more death, no more pain, it will be as though she was never injured. Not a scratch. Come on Sammy are you really going to let her die?'

Molly had never felt the burning pain she was experiencing in her gut right now but as terrified as she was of what would happen when she finally closed her eyes, she was determined Sam would not say yes. Lucifer's goading was making her angry. Sam's tormented face causing her just as much pain as her self inflicted knife wound.

'Think about it, Sam,' Lucifer was bargaining again. 'You have a chance to make the right choice, here. Aren't you tired of making selfless choices? You can have her back, have her by your side forever.'

'Get away from him!'

Molly heard Dean's voice echoing her own thoughts at the same time as she heard the door slam against the wall. He had evidently been successful in kicking the door in at last.

Lucifer made a subtle movement with his hand and Dean and Castiel, who had been seconds behind Dean, were pinned against the wall. Molly felt her anger burning through her. She hated feeling so helpless after finding out she had the potential for so much power. Her parents were both powerful creatures after all.

The image of her father flashed briefly through her mind. She had no idea if she was as powerful as he was but she had little time left to try and stop Lucifer.

'Sam all you have to say is yes,' Lucifer was still goading him.

Summoning up the last of her strength and picturing the image of what she wanted as best as she could, Molly leaned forward and grabbed Lucifer by the throat.

'Go to hell you bastard!' she growled.

With that he was gone.

Molly exhaled in disbelief and felt all her energy sink from her. She didn't know to what 'hell' she had sent him or how she had managed it but he was away from Sam, which was all that mattered.

Sam stared at the space Lucifer had occupied and then looked up as Dean and Castiel both fell to the floor.

'Sam?' Molly whispered, bringing his attention back to her.

He inhaled sharply as he realised he was going to lose her and there was nothing he could do about it.

'Nice trick,' he managed to say through his sobs.

Molly smiled weakly and he wished he had thought of something better to say. She reached up and wiped the tears from his face only for them to be replaced by fresh ones.

'Remember that song we danced to the other night?' she whispered.

Sam nodded, his tears dripping onto her face. He wiped them away as he thought about it. He wasn't sure whose world was coming down right now, hers or his.

'I'm glad you're sat beside me,' Molly said, sending a tug of pain through his chest.

Sam nodded gasping for breath and pulling her closer to him.

'I love you,' she whispered.

He pulled her face to his and pressed an urgent but gentle kiss on her lips.

'I love you too,' he said in return.

Dean stood motionless watching the tragic scene before him. He hated to see Sam in so much pain. Swiping at the tear that ran down his own cheek he watched as Molly finally went limp in his brother's arms and that was it. She was gone. He wanted to move forward and comfort his brother as Sam hung his head and sobbed unashamedly over Molly's now lifeless body but he couldn't find the words.

After a minute or two of hearing nothing but the sound of his younger brother's agony, Dean turned to look at Castiel as though he would have the answer.

Castiel shook his head. 'I have no power to heal her,' the angel said quietly. 'I'm sorry.'

Dean nodded and walked slowly over to Sam who was now closing Molly's eyes, his shoulders still shaking with his sobs. Dean put his hand on Sam's shoulder.

'I'm sorry, buddy,' he said, noticing how much he sounded like his father. 'Let's go.'

'I'm not leaving her,' Sam said, weakly.

'There's nothing we can do now, Sammy, she's gone,' Dean said, not as though his brother needed a reminder.

He saw Sam nod and rest her carefully on the floor.

'We can't just leave her here,' Sam said, his face turning suddenly to meet Dean's.

Dean was lost for words for a moment. It was even harder seeing Sam's grief close up. From across the room there had been some kind of protection but meeting his brothers devastated eyes made it all the rawer.

'I'll deal with it,' Castiel said, quietly.

Dean glanced from the angel to his brother, waiting to see if Sam would accept the suggestion. To his surprise, Sam nodded and wiped his face. Pressing one more kiss against Molly's forehead, Sam stood up and looked at Dean, putting his battle face on.

'Now what?' he asked, simply.

'Honestly? I really don't know,' Dean said, Sam's question seeming so out of place.

'Motel sounds like a good idea,' Sam said and headed out of the room without so much as a backward glance.

Dean looked to Castiel who now crouched beside Molly's body. The angel shrugged.

'Where do you think Lucifer went?' Dean asked. 'You think she really sent him back to hell?'

Castiel shook his head. 'I doubt it. Trickster powers work by creating illusion. She would have only been able to send him to what she pictured as hell. I don't think it will be long before he resurfaces somewhere.'

Dean nodded feeling the familiar fire in his belly at the promise of a hunt.

'Yeah, but we'll be ready.'

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**A/N - slightly scared now...why is it when you write something the first time it sounds awesome and then you read it back to yourself? hmm, seeds of doubt are poisonous things! One short little ditty remaining and that's it you don't have to listen to me going on anymore LOL. Won't be any authors notes with the next bit so thanks again!**


	18. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Castiel looked down at the corpse of the human girl. Human - for that was what she was. No supernatural, evil creature would have given its life so willingly to save another. He had not had much time to get to know her well but he could see that her intentions were honest.

It stirred up an unfamiliar feeling in him as he thought of how wretched Sam had been. Human emotion was a strange thing; he knew this from years of looking down on the world from Heaven. Somehow he understood it now. The loss of this life was a waste, tragic and brutal. There was no sense about it.

He found himself questioning all he had heard about his Creator. Were the rumours true? Had he really abandoned this world and all its inhabitants, was there no hope of redemption?

Castiel closed his eyes and took a breath in, trying to stem the anger he felt. He had rebelled against Heaven, was he being punished?

Warmth filled the room and Castiel opened his eyes to see that it was awash with a spectrum of light. Rays the colours of the rainbow stretched out in spokes from the space in the doorway. He saw a silhouette standing in the centre of it all.

Castiel felt his jaw drop, an action he felt only humans usually bothered to do. Clearing his throat, he found his voice.

'Father?'


End file.
